


Strange Situations

by insieme



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alec and Magnus as parents, Alternate Universe, Angst, Domestic Fluff, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Happy Ending, Life As We Know It AU, Like lots and lots of fluff, M/M, Minor Character Death, More of a Moderate Burn Really, Mutual Pining, No Smut, Parenthood, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but only at the beginning I promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2018-11-12 05:41:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 26,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11155413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insieme/pseuds/insieme
Summary: When Alec's best friend and her husband die in a horrible accident, their daughter is left to his care. She is also left to her other godparent Magnus Bane, Alec's blind date gone horribly wrong from years before.or a 'Life As we Know It' AU





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Angels! Another new fic! 
> 
> This fic is based off the plot of the movie Life As We Know It, in which Alec is Holly, Magnus is Messer and Madzie is little Sophie. 
> 
> I'm thinking this is going to be a short (ish) one, but knowing me it will be longer than I expected. I'm hoping for three chapters and an epilogue. 
> 
> Happy reading! xx
> 
>  
> 
> **note: an Italian translation has been done and can be viewed[HERE](https://www.efpfanfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=3718005) **

“Alec I’ve got a good feeling about this!” 

Alec Lightwood sighed as he checked himself over in the mirror one more time. He had kept his outfit casual tonight, but put a little more effort in than he usually would. 

“Lydia, it’s a blind date with one of John’s friends from college. I’m not getting my hopes up that high.” 

She laughed loudly. “Okay, I know what you mean. But I promise you, he’s actually a nice guy! I think you’ll really like him. Just give him a chance, okay?” 

Alec shook his head fondly, even though she couldn’t see him. “Alright, I will. I gotta go, he’s going to be here any minute.” 

Alec hung up the phone and slid it into the pocket of his jeans. He had never been on a blind date before so he didn’t really know what to expect. Both Lydia and John had promised him over and over that this guy was his type and that they were a match made in heaven. 

He gave himself one last glance in the mirror and then made his way out into the front hall. 

It had been a while since he had been out on a date. He had been really busy with work, and despite his sister Isabelle’s efforts to set him up with boys she deemed ‘perfect’ for him, none of them worked out. 

That’s probably why Alec agreed to this blind date in the first place. One, it wasn’t set up by his sister so it probably had a higher chance of success than the last few he had been on and two, this guy didn’t know any of his friends except for Lydia and John so if things went sour there would be no harm done (Alec was still upset with Isabelle for setting him up with her secretary, who still gave him sad puppy eyes every time he visited her at work). 

He checked the time on his watch. 8:15. There was probably traffic on the highway, or maybe he was having trouble finding the place. He would be here soon. 

8:30 passed and 8:45 hit with still no knock on the door. Alec was worried that maybe he had gotten the times mixed up and double checked the message Lydia had sent him with the time. He was supposed to pick Alec up at 8.

It was ten to 9 before there was finally a knock on the door. Alec waited a moment before answering, so it didn’t seem like he was waiting by the door (but really, he had a right to be seeing as his date was just under an hour late). 

He opened the door and saw him standing there, not a care in the world. The man was wearing a pair of tight black pants and a blue sheer top with only about two buttons done up near the bottom, glittering necklaces hanging in the open space of his chest. His hair was spiked up at the top with silver streaks standing out the rest of the black strands. 

He wore a huge, smug grin on his face.

“Well, hello.” His eyes did a deliberate up and down of Alec’s body. 

“Hi. Magnus, right?” Alec asked, holding out his hand. Magnus looked at the hand questioningly for a moment before shaking it, smirk on his face. 

“Yes, that’s right. And I’m to presume that you are Alexander?” He drew his words out slowly, eyes drawing up Alec’s body again. 

Alec coughed. “Just Alec, actually.” 

Magnus nodded. “Well Just Alec, where are we headed today?”

Alec laughed at Magnus’ question until he realized that he wasn’t joking. He continued to look at Alec with confusion and mild concern the more Alec laughed. He coughed into his hand as they walked down to the car. “Oh, um. I thought you had made a reservation somewhere?”

Magnus shook his head. “Nope.” He put extra emphasis on popping the ‘p’ and Alec had to resist rolling his eyes. At this rate he would suffer a few hours of this date to please Lydia and then hopefully never have to see this jerk again. 

“Well, I know some places downtown we can go without a reservation. I don’t know if Lydia or John told you but I own a restaurant, so I could probably get us in somewhere.” Magnus didn’t look up at him, instead just made a noncommittal noise and muttered ‘sure, whatever works’ under his breath. 

Alec took a deep breath and tried to calm down. They had just gotten off to a bad start but he shouldn’t be writing his date off so early in the evening. 

They got in the car and Alec just put the key in the ignition when Magnus’ phone started ringing. He held a single ring clad finger up to Alec and picked it up. “Bane.” He practically purred. “Yeah, yeah okay.” He nodded, slow smirk spreading on his face. “Okay my love, I look forward to it. Yeah, you too. See you soon, darling.” 

Alec looked at him, eyes wide. Magnus hung up the phone and turned to Alec. “Did you just …?”

“Oh I was just making plans for later, love. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it. So are we going somewhere, or …? I'm starving.” 

Alec shook his head, disbelieving. “No actually, we’re not. You clearly have something more _important_ to get to and I would hate to hold you up.” He clenched his teeth, determined not to lose his cool. This man was making it ridiculously hard though. 

“Oh that’s great, really thanks so much. I promised someone I’d meet them and I’d really hate to keep them waiting much longer, if you know what I mean.” He winked. Alec’s mouth dropped open. 

“Get out of my car.” Alec seethed, glaring at Magnus and practically jumping out the car himself. 

Magnus stepped out as well and eyed Alec dubiously. “So if Lydia and John ask -” Alec held a hand up to stop him.

“I’m going to be calling Lydia in about 30 seconds to give her a piece of my mind and you better be gone by the time that that happens.” 

Magnus raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and turned to walk away, waving over his shoulder. “Give Lydia my best, would you?” 

Alec stormed up the path to his house and ripped his phone out of his pocket, dialling her number quickly. She picked up on the first ring. “Al-”

“Oh you _so_ owe me. You owe me big time. You can start by promising that I never have to see that creep again.”

 

***

 

 **1 Year Later**

Alec turned the burner off on the stove, removing the boiling pasta and setting it aside. The sauce still had a few minutes, as did the lasagna in the oven so he made some last minute adjustments to the array of cold appetizers spread out over the counter. 

Lydia walked into the kitchen, baby on her hip, smiling when she saw all the food. “Madzie has got to be the only one year-old I know that has a professionally catered birthday party.” 

Alec looked up from the food and grinned. “Nothing less than perfect for my favourite goddaughter.” He lifted Madzie from Lydia’s arms and kissed her lightly on the head.

Lydia and John had tried to get pregnant for almost two years after they were married but had been sadly unsuccessful. After some discussion, they instead decided they would adopt and the result had been a beautiful baby girl. 

Unlike both her parents, she had beautiful dark skin and was just starting to grow curling black hair that was tight to her head in pretty ringlets. She hadn’t started to speak or walk yet but she was happy almost all the time and giggled loudly when Alec blew a raspberry into her chubby cheeks. 

Alec walked around the kitchen, Madzie still in his arms, making sure everything was perfect. Lydia had insisted on inviting almost everyone they knew to the house to celebrate the party and Alec had offered right away to do all the catering. Lydia and John had wanted to pay Alec’s full price, seeing as they were very successful and could afford it, but Alec had brushed them off and told them to put the money towards Madzie’s schooling instead. 

Lydia was greeting guests near the front of the house and leading them through the house to the backyard, where the party was being held. Alec was entertaining little Madzie by feeding her strawberries from a bowl. He had planned to decorate the top of the cake with them but watching her grip the juicy fruit in her fist and bring it to her mouth was too adorable to resist. 

The cake could survive with a few less strawberries.

Alec was just about to grab another piece of fruit for her when a loud voice broke him from his actions. He looked up to see none other than Magnus enter the kitchen, usual smug smile on his face. Alec resisted the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Hello Sweetpea.” Magnus cooed, coming over and lifting the baby from Alec’s arms without even a hello. 

Unfortunately, Lydia hadn’t been able to make good on her promise that Alec would never have to see Magnus again. The other man was still very close with John, though Alec couldn't really imagine why. This meant he was invited to every party and dinner that Alec was. When they had brought Madzie home, he had also been named the second godfather, much to Alec’s annoyance. Thankfully, the one thing they actually agreed on was that their almost-date had never happened and both of them hadn’t once mentioned it since. 

Though that didn’t mean things were all flowers and daisies between them. Magnus was still a self-centered, egotistical pig and Alec still wanted nothing to do with him. 

Lydia bumped her hip with his. “Seething like that will give you horrible frown lines.” Alec shot her a glare, but with no real malice behind it and rolled his eyes. 

“I just don’t know why you guys keep him around. I -” He gestured to the food before them, “am actually useful. All he does is drink and sleep with people.” 

Lydia rolled her eyes, laughing. “Sexual tension doesn’t look good on you.” She ignored Alec’s disgusted protest. “Besides, John loves him. And he’s so good with Madzie.” They both looked out the back window into the garden to see Magnus squatting down beside a bed of flowers, Madzie bracketed between his legs so she didn’t fall. Both of them were looking at the flowers intently, Madzie giggling and smiling. 

Alec grunted. “It’s not hard to be good with her when you have the easiest baby in the world.” 

Lydia just laughed and grabbed some finished plates of food from in front of Alec, walking out the door and into the garden.

 

***

 

Magnus had always prided himself for his professionalism when the need arose. 

He was a business owner - a nightclub, but a business nonetheless - so being professional came second nature to him. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun every once in a while. 

Which was why he was sitting on one of the VIP couches in his club, a gaggle of men and women at his side. He knew they were there for the free drinks he was supplying and more than one of them definitely wanted to take him home, but he loved the attention and was happy to oblige with their every needs. 

The club was packed for a Friday night. The two dance floors - one upstairs and one down - were both completely filled with writhing, sweaty bodies and the bass was pumping, thrumming through Magnus’ body pleasantly. 

He surveyed the young people around him. They were all beautiful and clearly interested, what with the way they were rubbing against him and vying for his attention. One woman in particular kept whispering dirty things in his ear, while a man on the other side was stroking quite high up on his thigh. He leaned back and enjoyed the attention. He would worry about choosing one of them to take home later. 

One of Magnus’ bouncers stepped in front of them then. He had a stern look on his face, but he rarely smiled so Magnus didn’t really think much of it. “What can I do for you Geoffrey?” His suitors continued with their ministrations of his body like nothing had happened. Maybe Magnus would take them _both_ home. 

Geoffrey continued to look stoic. “Mr. Bane, there is an urgent call for you in your office.” 

Magnus rolled his eyes. “How urgent?” 

The bouncer glanced to the two people on Magnus’ arms before continuing. “It was from an Alec Lightwood, sir. He sounded very distraught.” 

Magnus’ ears perked up. Why was Alec calling him? Surely it must have been something important for him to call Magnus directly. He excused himself from the tangle of people, leaving a stack of bills for them to buy some more drinks and walked to his office, Geoffrey following closely behind. 

He closed the door behind him and saw, sure enough, the light was flashing on the phone which indicated that someone was on hold. He picked up the receiver and brought it to his ear. “Alexander, what do I owe the pleasure?”

Alec talked quickly on the other end of the line. His voice was deep and gruff and Magnus could tell he had been crying from the hitches in his breath and the way his voice cracked on some words. 

Alec had barely finished speaking when Magnus spoke. “Where are you?” He asked, fighting the emotion in his own voice. Alec quickly rattled off an address and Magnus told the bouncer to ready him a car to leave immediately, any effects he had been feeling from the alcohol earlier long gone. 

He assured Alec he wouldn’t be long before hanging up and quickly walking through the club, heart pounding painfully in his chest. 

Alec had to have made a mistake. Magnus refused to believe what he had just heard on the phone to be true. 

Because if it was true and Alec had been right, that meant two of Magnus’ best friends were dead and their little girl was now an orphan. 

 

***


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus get used to parenting, and each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got this chapter done! It took me a lot longer than anticipated but it's here :) 
> 
> If you want to live tweet your reactions you can tag #ssfic and I'll see them xx

Alec had never liked hospitals. Ever since he was a child, he had always known they weren’t a place you ever wanted to be. They weren’t somewhere most people chose to be. Sure, some good things happened in hospitals, miracles even, but many people who entered a hospital never came out.

He was sat on the stiff plastic chairs in the waiting room, unable to move. Whenever he had come to the hospital in the past, he would walk by these exact chairs and wonder who the people sitting in them were waiting for. He would wonder if they were brought in by an accident, or if something amazing was about to happen to them. More often than not, the people sitting in the waiting chairs were like him, no longer waiting for anyone, but unsure of where else they were supposed to go. 

He thought it was ironic, the hospital staff telling family members they could take all the time they needed in the waiting room when there was nothing, or no one, to wait for. 

It was insane that one seemingly small event could change so many lives in just a few short hours. How one person who decided that they were okay to drive after leaving the bar could dramatically shift the lives of so many people, sending them off course and into a tailspin, ending two lives in the process. Alec dropped his head into his hands and closed his eyes, trying in vain to process the events of the past few hours. 

He had been catering an event when he got the call. 

The officer on the other end of the line had been kind enough, but Alec wanted to hate her for the news she had delivered. She had explained calmly that Lydia and John had been involved in a serious car crash and asked that Alec, as their emergency contact, meet them at the hospital.

Alec had been frantic, leaving Simon in charge and running out the door without a backwards glance. He had to force himself not to speed because the irony of him getting into an accident on his way to the hospital to see his friends who had been in one was just too much. 

He had arrived at the hospital to find a group of doctors and officers standing around in a circle. None of them looked particularly cheerful. 

The female officer from the phone took Alec aside and explained that while John had unfortunately died at the scene, Lydia had been airlifted to the hospital. She had gone into emergency surgery as soon as she arrived but had succumbed to her injuries on the table. 

“The baby.” Alec had blurted out, pushing everything else aside. His emotions were threatening to burst, to strangle him, but he needed to know where his goddaughter was. “Where’s the baby?” Alec had been stricken with grief at the loss of Lydia and John but the only coherent thought he could think was of poor, sweet Madzie, praying that she hadn’t been in the car with them. 

“She was in the care of her babysitter. We’ve since taken her to Child Protective Services where she’ll stay the duration of the night.” 

Alec hadn’t been able to stay calm at that point, making a scene in the middle of the hospital. The officer had tried to reason with him but reason had completely left Alec’s mind. The thought that Madzie was in the care of someone she didn’t know, lumped in with a bunch of other children she didn’t recognize and had no idea her whole life had just changed forever made Alec almost feral with anger and pain. He had shouted and screamed at anyone he could, begging just to be able to see her. To hold her and make sure she was alright. 

Both the doctors and police officers explained to him, as calmly as they could, that Madzie was to be in the care of the state for the rest of the evening until the Branwell’s lawyer could be called and their will examined. Logically, Alec knew that they were right and it was what was in the best interest of everyone but the thought of Madzie all alone made it next to impossible for him to see reason.

Alec had eventually admitted defeat after a doctor told him he would be removed from the building if he didn’t stop yelling. He had slumped down into the nearest chair, his emotions finally catching up with him, and let himself cry.

He had known Lydia ever since his first year of high school and had met John when Lydia had started dating him in college. Not a day went by that Alec didn’t talk to one of them, especially now that they had the baby. Lydia was always sending him pictures and videos, or asking him to come over to visit or babysit if they needed a night alone. She had asked Alec if he had wanted to come over tonight, but he had an event and had to refuse her.

Lydia had asked him to come over and babysit on the night she died, and Alec had said no. 

He knew that even if he had said yes, nothing would have changed except for the fact that he would have received the call around the same time that protective services was taking Madzie from his arms. He knew that there was no way for him to know that tonight would be their last, and that he had missed out on his last chance to see them alive. 

But now they were gone forever, and Alec wasn't sure what to do with that information. What was he going to do without his best friend? More importantly, what was going to happen to Madzie? The poor thing was so young and now she was parentless. Alec knew what happened to most children in the foster system, and he vowed to fight like hell to make sure that didn’t happen to little Madzie. 

He thought to call Magnus not long after finding out that both Lydia and John had passed. Lydia had once given him his number for emergencies and Alec had never intended on using it, taking it just to placate her. He found the contact quickly and called, a male voice that was distinctly not Magnus answering before Magnus himself came on the phone and said he was on his way. 

Alec slumped lower in the chair. He knew he had no reason to even still be at the hospital, but leaving meant that John and Lydia were really gone and Alec couldn’t handle that. Not yet. Plus this is where he had told Magnus to meet him, so he had to at least wait until then. 

Magnus arrived quickly, far quicker than Alec had expected. He was dressed similarly to the night Alec first met him, meaning he must have come straight from work. He spotted Alec sitting in the chairs and walked over quickly. He looked agitated, hair a mess from where he had clearly been running his hands through it. Alec stood up, trying to figure out what to say. What could someone even say in a situation like this?

But when he tried to speak, the words died out in his throat and were replaced by a rough, ugly sob tearing its way out of his chest. Magnus only hesitated a moment before pulling Alec into a tight hug, arms wrapping around his shaking form. Alec let himself be comforted, Magnus’ presence for once welcomed. 

When Alec had stopped shaking, Magnus pulled back. He hastily wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his sweater, sending a small grateful smile towards Magnus. 

Magnus started with questions immediately. The frantic, anxious side of him that Alec had never before seen was back, but tragedy tended to pull those things from people. He couldn’t judge, if his behaviour towards the doctors and police officers earlier was anything to go by. “Where’s Madzie? Is she alright? You didn’t say anything about her on the phone so I’m assuming that meant she wasn’t - wasn’t with them.” He spoke calmly and clearly but it seemed to be taking some effort. Alec quickly and efficiently filled him in on everything the officers had told him. 

Magnus nodded. “Okay. Alright. So I guess we wait until the morning and then we go get her?” There was nothing else they could do so Alec agreed, and after thanking the first responders they got in Alec’s car. They didn’t discuss where they were headed. Alec supposed they both knew. 

He pulled the car into Lydia and John’s driveway, shutting off the engine. Neither of them moved. John’s work car was still in the driveway, along with the red minivan they got right after they adopted Madzie. The house itself was large, front porch lights on for when they came home. 

Well, for when they would have come home. 

Alec sighed and got out of the car, waiting for Magnus before they walked up to the front door. He had been here more times than he could count but the thought of entering the house now sent shivers down his spine. Never again would Lydia come home from work through these doors, or would John try to fit a large Christmas tree in during the holidays. There would be no more family dinners with Alec and Magnus bickering and arguing while their friends laughed, or quiet nights while John was putting the baby down that he and Lydia would sit downstairs, glasses of wine in hand, as they talked the night away.

Alec pulled out his key and unlocked the door. The front hall was clean, but things had clearly been left in a hurry. Toys were scattered in the living room and a basket of folded laundry was sitting, abandoned, on the stairs. Distractedly, Alec went to the living room and started picking up the toys from the floor. 

“Alec.” Magnus said, surprisingly soft. Alec didn’t respond, continuing to pick up Madzie’s toys and place them in the toy bin. “Alec, stop.” 

Alec whipped around. “Why? Why should I stop? It’s not like they’re going to come home and see the house a mess, are they? Just let me do this.” The second the words left his mouth he regretted them. He let out a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that.”

Magnus nodded. “You did, but I understand. Why don’t you go put on a pot of coffee and I’ll see if I can get their lawyer on the phone? I want to get Madzie back here as soon as we can so we’re going to need to stay awake and make some calls.” 

After a pot of coffee, and then another, neither men could sleep. They had made countless phone calls to almost everyone they could think of, but not a single one that could bring Madzie back to them. 

They spent the night sitting on opposite couches, Alec with the phone clutched tightly in his hand as if it was holding the answers to all of his questions. They didn’t speak much, both wrapped up in their own thoughts and bereavement. The only conversation was one of them asking the time or if the next pot of coffee had been put on. 

When the phone finally did ring, Alec almost missed the call. He stared down at the object in his hand, too tired to decipher why it was finally making noise after so many hours of remaining quiet. He did answer it though, when Magnus threatened to grab it from him if he didn’t pick it up.

“Hello?”

“This is Victor Aldertree, the Branwell’s lawyer. To whom am I speaking with?”

Alec cleared his throat, shooting a look to Magnus. “A-Alec Lightwood, sir. I’m here with Magnus Bane.”

The man made an affirmative noise. “Very well. There are a few matters the three of us must discuss before Madzie Branwell is released into your care. Would you have a moment to meet this morning?”

Alec almost dropped the phone, jumping to answer the question. “Yes! Yes, of course. We can meet as soon as possible.” Victor agreed to come to them, seeing as they were already in the Branwell house and promised to be over within the hour. 

This time, Magnus did let Alec clean. Together, they made the house look presentable; washing the abundance of coffee cups and other dishes scattered around the kitchen, folding the laundry and picking up the scattered toys. Alec knew that realistically, the state of the house wouldn’t make a difference to the lawyer but he would do anything if it meant they had a better chance of getting Madzie back. 

Neither of them had a change of clothes, but they freshened up as best they could in the downstairs bathroom. They could have, of course, gone upstairs to borrow something from John’s closet but Alec knew that he and Magnus were for once on the same page on something. It would seem wrong to go up into their room, even though their things would need to be cleaned out eventually, this was still _their_ house. It was still their things. 

True to his word, the lawyer showed up just under the hour. He was dressed in a crisp suit, making Alec feel entirely underdressed. He was still wearing his wrinkled suit shirt and slacks from the night before.

To Alec’s surprise, Magnus took control of the meeting right away. He directed them all to the dining room where he had three cups of coffee waiting for them.

They sat across from Victor waiting for him to start speaking. He was pulling folders from his briefcase, each one filled with documents. Alec’s heart was thrumming almost painfully in his chest. He glanced sideways at Magnus to see the other man rubbing his fingers together nervously, rings glinting in the light every time he moved. 

Victor finally seemed to have found the folder he was looking for and set it on the table in front of him. He didn’t open it, instead, clasped his fingers together and studied the two of them. Alec squirmed slightly in his seat, feeling like they were being judged. 

“First thing, I would like to offer my condolences. I have known the Branwell’s for a long time and am very sorry to hear of their passing.” Magnus and Alec nodded. “Before they passed, Lydia and John created a will.” He opened the folder and pulled out two identical stacks of paper, handing one to each of them. 

Alec looked down and his throat tightened. Written across the top page were the words _The Last Will and Testament Of L. Branwell and J. Monteverde_ in big bold lettering. In his 28 years, Alec had never seen another person's will before and he had hoped he wouldn’t have to. But before him was the joint will put together by his two best friends. 

He ran his finger over the two signatures at the bottom of the first page, swallowing thickly. 

Victor gave them a moment to collect themselves before he began speaking again. “Now, there are a few things we need to discuss this morning but the most pressing is who will care for Madzie.” He opened his own booklet to a page and indicated they do the same. “As you can see here, the two of you as godparents are named the legal guardians of Madzie Branwell in the event that both her mother and father perish.”

“We’re what?” Magnus rasped out immediately. If the situation were different, the size his eyes had grown to would have been comical. 

Aldertree looked perplexed. “Mr. Bane, are you familiar with the term godparent?” Magnus nodded, very slowly. “Then, I presume, you must also be familiar with the definition?” Magnus cleared his throat, glancing desperately to him for help. Alec, to his credit, shrugged unhelpfully. “Are _either_ of you aware of what it means to be a godparent?” 

“I thought it was something along the lines of the best man, but for their children.” Magnus supplied, shrugging. “Like we were the designated cool uncles or something like that.” 

Alec too, hadn’t really known fully what he was accepting to when he took on the role of Madzie’s godparent. He knew that being a godparent meant having more responsibilities than others in her life and that it was an honour to be asked, but if he was being honest, he didn’t do much research on the position before he accepted. 

Aldertree’s eyes went wide and he shook his head, gaze travelling between the two of them. “You’re telling me that the both of you had no idea the responsibility you were accepting when you agreed to be Madzie’s godparents?” Guiltily, they shook their heads. Murmuring under his breath, he began shuffling papers around, glancing up at them incredulously every so often. 

The lawyer’s words were running through Alec’s head on a loop. _The legal guardians of Madzie Branwell._ Lydia and John had decided that if they were both to die, Alec and Magnus were the two people they wanted to raise their child. The two people they wanted to raise their child _together_. 

Alec was still young and he had no idea if he had what it took to be a parent. Sure, Lydia was his age and she had been an amazing mother but that was Lydia. She was smart and resourceful and amazing at most everything she did. Alec was none of those things.

Glancing at Magnus, he looked just as terrified as Alec felt. As much as Magnus was good with Madzie, Alec didn’t have much confidence in him either when it came to parenting skills. He owned a nightclub, for God’s sake. 

So Alec would have to raise Madzie on his own. He could do it. Plenty of people much younger and more inexperienced than him raised children and they turned out perfectly fine. He also doubted Magnus would object to having the responsibility removed from his shoulders, if the look on his face was any indication. 

He was about to suggest this new plan to Magnus and Aldertree when the lawyer collected himself and fixed them both with a stern look. “Madzie is now in your care. _Both_ of your care. It is explicitly stated in writing that you are both to look after the girl. Now I understand this is less than convenient for the two of you so there are some things we can do. Madzie’s care could be transferred to another willing member of the family as well as foster care and adoption, which are both viable options. ” 

To Alec’s surprise, Magnus spoke up. “No! No - we don’t want that.” He looked to Alec for confirmation. “Do we?”

They both turned to look at him - Magnus with pleading eyes, and the lawyer with almost bored indifference. Of course he didn’t want to see Madzie thrown into the foster system, but were he and Magnus really the best option for her happiness? How would they manage raising a child if they couldn’t even manage being in the same room as each other?

But then Alec thought about their options; foster care and adoption were out of the question, which just left other family members. Having been friends with both Lydia and John for so long, he was very aware of their family members and the options weren’t promising. Lydia’s parents had both passed and her younger brother hadn’t been in contact with the family for as long as Alec had known them. John's parents were still alive, but both were older, too old to raise a toddler. He had two brothers, one younger than Alec and another in the military stationed on the other side of the world. 

Which just left him and Magnus. 

“I -” Alec looked between the two of them. “No. We don’t want that.” Magnus actually sent him a smile, looking relieved. Aldertree on the other hand though, looked slightly more stressed. 

“The two of you are willing to take custody of Madzie? Together?” Alec didn’t like the doubtful tone in his voice but he supposed he couldn’t be that upset when he had just been thinking desperately of another option just moments ago.

“Yes.” They said, at the same time. 

He let out a deep sigh. “Very well. There’s lots to get through, so let's not waste any time.”

 

***

 

It was hours later that they finally got done with the lawyer and were finally allowed to pick up Madzie. 

As well as godparent, Alec had been named executor which meant more logistics for Aldertree to explain to them. Essentially, everything had been left for Madzie to inherit when she was old enough. The house would be jointly under Alec and Magnus’ names until Madzie was of age, and the three of them were to live there together when raising Madzie. Both Lydia and John had worked good jobs and had a good amount of money saved up; half of the money had gone to Madzie’s education fund, a quarter of it to paying off the house and the rest to him and Magnus to take care of Madzie. 

There was also the issue of the funeral which needed to be decided on sooner rather than later. 

Overall, it had been quite possibly the worst 24 hours of Alec’s life and he wanted nothing more than the hide under his covers and sleep, hoping that when he woke up everything would have gone back to normal.

But that wasn’t the case nor was it allowed, which was how he found himself in the passenger seat of Magnus’ car, exhausted, and on his way to a foster home to pick up his goddaughter.

Neither of them had spoken much since leaving the lawyer. Alec wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to say in a situation like this. ‘Hey, I know we both hate each other but we essentially just adopted a child together. Nice weather we’re having today, eh?’

The truth of the situation was that Alec had no idea what was going to happen. He had no idea how they were going to make this work, but they had to. Madzie was now, officially and legally, theirs and they would have to find some way to work together and raise her the way Lydia and John would have wanted. 

“So …” Alec started, but stopped when he realized he had nothing more to say. 

Magnus turned his head away from the road. “Really Alec? ‘So?’ That’s all you have to say right now?” 

“Well, what would you suggested I have said?”

Magnus rolled his eyes. “Something more eloquent than ‘so’, that’s for sure.” 

Alec sighed, annoyed. “Well, excuse me for my lack of eloquence right now. It’s been a really shitty past 24 hours and on top of that I just found out my best friend’s dying wish was for me to raise her child with _you_.” 

Magnus turned back to the road, raising his eyebrows challengingly. “With me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know perfectly well what it means.” 

“Do elaborate, Alexander.” 

“It’s Alec.”

“That’s not an elaboration.”

“No, but it’s a common courtesy since I’ve told you not to call me that before.” 

Magnus didn’t answer and Alec looked out the window to see that they had arrived. The fight drained out of him almost immediately when he saw where they were. 

The place where they had sent Madzie looked like a poorly run home daycare. The sign outside was less than appealing, having been written on a piece of bristol board and taped to the outside railing with duct tape. The house itself was in need of a good paint job and a gardener by the looks of the creeping, dead plants all the way up the front porch. 

“Still think Lydia and John made a bad decision?” Magnus whispered quietly. There was no malice in his voice but it still sent a wave of annoyance through Alec. 

He opened his door quickly. “Let’s go.” 

A small elderly lady opened the door when they knocked, small baby in her arms. She barely asked them who they were before letting them inside, directing them to the living room where the majority of the children were playing. Alec wasn’t sure of the specifics, but he was sure that there was restrictions on how many children could be under the care of a single person and this woman was not following them. 

The living room was filled with toddlers and young children, all of them running around and playing with the small scattering of old toys around. Many of them were half dressed, just running around in diapers and some looked much too small to be left on their own. Alec spotted Madzie immediately, sitting on the couch away from the other children, her trusted giraffe clutched tightly in her small arms. 

Alec made a beeline across the room, scooping her up as soon as he was in arm's reach. She looked surprised at the sudden movement but once she saw Alec she smiled her adorable little smile, her few teeth showing. 

He held her as tightly as he could, feeling her tiny heartbeat against his shoulder and the soft rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. His eyes welled up with tears and he tried to hold them back, but it was no use. Madzie was _okay_. She was here and she was safe in Alec’s arms and they were taking her home. Sure, her entire life had just been flipped on it’s axis, but she was healthy and unhurt and that was all that mattered to him at the moment. 

Magnus placed a hand on his shoulder, surprisingly gentle. 

Alec turned on the spot, not letting go of Madzie but adjusting her so that the little girl was propped on his hip. She giggled when she saw Magnus and Alec let out a wet laugh. The other man leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. “Hello darling.” He swallowed thickly and Alec noticed a few unshed tears in his eyes as well. 

The two of them made eye contact and without speaking a single word, made a pact. They were in this together now and they would do whatever it took to raise Madzie and keep that innocent little smile on her face. 

They had to.

 

***

 

Magnus had no idea how much work babies actually were. 

Sure, he had babysat before but looking after a one year-old for a few hours and living with one were different. _Very_ different. And Magnus was just beginning to find out how different.

For instance, he was not aware that babies needed their diapers changed every few hours, or that they needed to eat just as frequently. He had no idea that they went to bed so early, only to wake up every few hours during the night, crying and needing to be changed or just held and rocked back to sleep. He had no concept of just how little sleep or downtime he or Alec would be getting, or that he would hardly have time to shower, let alone put on a full face of makeup.

Magnus was learning very quickly that parenting was a full-time job that he was very unqualified for.

The first night they had brought her home was a learning experience, to say the least. Being in Lydia and John’s house (he supposed it was theirs now, though it still felt weird referring to it that way) was odd. Alec was pretty good with knowing his way around their kitchen and made dinner for the three of them, but Magnus still felt very out of place. He would be in the living room playing with Madzie and look up at the door at the smallest sound, convinced her parents were going to walk through at any moment. 

The first dinner was eventful. Alec had made just a simple pesto pasta for the two of them, and blended sweet potato for Madzie. She was currently going through a picky eating phase, something they were both aware of, but Magnus hadn’t realized the extent of how little she wanted to do with food. 

“Here sweetheart, just a spoonful.” Alec had coaxed, moving the spoon towards her open mouth. She had taken the bite but not even a moment later, spit it out all over Alec’s shirt, scrunching up her nose. Alec looked shocked and more than a little confused. Magnus had burst out laughing, which awarded him a testy look from Alec and a snarky comment about seeing if he could do better. 

“Well, it looks like you aren’t the renowned chef you say you are.” Magnus grinned, swiping the bowl from Alec’s hand.

“Shut up.”

Between the two of them, they eventually got at least half of the bowl in her and the other half on their own shirts, their own dinners long gone cold. 

Bath time had been next. After the dinner experience, they had decided to go at it together figuring they would have a better chance of getting her clean if there was two of them. Madzie turned out to love the bath, giggling and laughing at them as Alec washed her hair and Magnus distracted her with toys. She loved splashing her hands down in the tub and by the end both men were covered not only in sweet potato, but water as well. 

“Excuse you, little miss.” Magnus sighed, dramatically. “I’ll have you know this is Valentino that you have now ruined.” 

Madzie didn’t appear as though she minded much, cooing and giggling. 

Alec picked her out of the tub, wrapping her tightly in a fluffy towel. “I would suggest keeping your designer shirts for work. Maybe invest in some cotton t-shirts for home. The Gap has a sale on right now.” 

The tone of Alec’s voice suggested he knew very well that Magnus wouldn’t be shopping at The Gap, but Magnus made sure to let him know with some choice words, whispered away from Madzie’s impressionable ears. 

It seemed like no time later when it was finally time to put her to bed, all three of them showered and clean. The nursery was familiar territory to both of them. Alec and Lydia had painted the walls deep turquoise, while John and a begrudging Magnus had assembled the furniture. At the time he hadn’t understood why Alec got the easy job of painting the walls when he had been stuck trying to put together pieces of wood from Ikea. 

Alec had changed her into a onesie, and she was curled sleepily over his shoulder, small eyes drooping, fist clutching the neck of his shirt. 

He placed her gently in the crib and she only fussed for a moment before relaxing, her sleepy gaze fixed on them above her. 

“Sweet dreams, sweetpea.” Magnus whispered, brushing a stray curl away from her forehead. 

Magnus had never put any other baby but Madzie to sleep, so he didn’t have much of a concept but she had always been quick to fall asleep. She almost always fell asleep as soon as she hit the pillow, something Magnus had learned was very uncommon in babies. Lydia used to joke that Magnus’ cats were harder to care for than little Madzie. 

Magnus respectfully had disagreed with her opinion. 

Alec grabbed the baby monitor and they quietly left the room, cracking the door every so slightly. 

They retreated downstairs to the kitchen, where the mess from dinner was still everywhere. 

Alec wandered over to the sink, collecting dishes and starting the water to clean them. He already looked so at home in the Branwell house, track pants slung low on his hips and a dish towel thrown over his shoulder while he cleaned. Meanwhile, Magnus was feeling anything but at home. 

He felt like a stranger trying to live someone's life that wasn’t his. Like he was thrown onto a stage in costume and expected to perform, without learning any of the lines, or even the name of the play. Alec could adapt to this situation. That’s what he did. He had his life figured out. He was successful and organized and annoyingly anal about almost everything. He would be fine in a situation like this. 

But Magnus, he wasn’t doing fine. 

He cleared his throat. “I’m going to head out.” 

Alec whipped his head up, looking at Magnus. “You’re what?”

“Head out, Alec. It’s a term that means I’m leaving, surely you’ve heard it before.” Magnus watched Alec’s face transform from confusion to anger. His furrowed brows of confusion were raised to that of disbelief, and his mouth formed a hard line. He crossed his arms over his chest.

“Of course I’ve heard it before, Magnus. I just don’t really understand the context seeing as this is your home now, and I’m not exactly sure where you plan to ‘head out’ to.” 

Alec’s hazel eyes burned furiously. Magnus suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and make a comment he knew he would regret. “I still have my apartment. I have to go check on my cat anyway. I’m going to stay there tonight, but I’ll be back in the morning.” 

Alec scoffed. “You do realize that this isn’t just a babysitting gig we’ve gotten ourselves into, right? Madzie _is our child_ , whether we like it or not.” He sighed. “Believe me, I would rather be doing this without you or with literally _anyone_ else. But Lydia and John, for some reason neither of us will ever know, wanted us to do this together and I respect both of them too much to disregard one of their last wishes.” 

Magnus shook his head, turning towards the door. He wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore but he needed a moment to think and not have Alec’s judgemental eyes boring into his. He knew Alec was right but God, did he wish he was wrong. Magnus loved Madzie with his entire heart, but he hadn’t thought of himself becoming a parent for a least a few more years. He thought he would be married, or at least in a relationship before he had a child. 

He turned back to Alec. “I never asked for this. I didn’t ask to be godparent or whatever the hell it is we are! I love Madzie just as much as you do but I didn’t sign up to be her father.” 

“And you think I did?” Alec asked, incredulous. “Magnus, I’m 28 and opened up my own business just under a year ago. I’m no more ready for this than you are, but none of that matters. None of any of this matters. What matters is that there is a little girl sleeping upstairs who was made an orphan last night, and we are the only two people that can give her a life that she deserves.” 

Magnus could see the frustration in his frame and instantly knew that Alec was no more okay with this than he was. Alec may have given off the pretense of being in control and fine with the situation, but in reality he was just as freaked out as Magnus. 

“You’re right.”

Alec raised his eyebrows. “I’m right? That’s it?”

Magnus nodded, shrugging. “Yeah.” He gestured to the living room. “Do you want the couch or the guest bedroom? I don’t think either of us want to sleep in their room.” 

Alec stared at him, seemingly lost for words. He looked like he was trying to figure out Magnus’ very abrupt change of mood. Magnus hoped he figured it out, because he himself wasn’t entirely sure. All of the fight just went out of him when he saw Alec, for once, losing some semblance of control. 

Magnus sighed, shrugging. “Okay, since you clearly don’t have an opinion I’ll take the guest room. I’m going to have one of my friends drop off my cat tomorrow, along with more stuff.” Alec nodded, still silent. “I’ll make breakfast in the morning. Goodnight.” 

Leaving Alec standing motionless behind him, Magnus turned and walked from the kitchen. 

This was going to be his life now, living with Alec, and he really needed to get ahold of himself. He couldn’t stand the guy but there was something about him that made Magnus curious. He was annoying and stuck-up but he had quickly accepted the situation and took Madzie in, no question. He even considered taking Madzie by himself before Magnus had agreed, even though it would be much harder on him. 

He didn’t like Alec Lightwood, but he was determined to try, for Madzie. 

 

***

 

“We need more cinnamon buns out here! They’re selling like hot cakes. Or hot cinnamon buns … which they are.” 

Alec rolled his eyes, walking out from the kitchen. “Good morning, Simon.” 

Simon grinned, handing the customer he was dealing with her bag before turning to Alec. “Morning, boss.” 

Clary poked her head out of the window, separating the store from the kitchen. “Did you need more hot cakes or cinnamon buns? I heard both.” 

Alec chuckled. “Cinnamon buns, please.” 

She made an affirmative noise and ducked back into the kitchen. 

Lightwood Bakery & Cafe was one of Alec’s greatest life achievements. He had loved baking ever since he was young, and knew from an early age that he wanted to make a career out of it. It had taken lots of saving up and a degree in business but he had finally made it happen. 

The cafe was small, but big enough for what they needed it for. Ideally, Alec would have wanted it a little bigger, but after being in it for a year it had decidedly grown on him. The small space gave off a homey atmosphere. The interior was decorated with comfy couches and chairs, various pieces of furniture he, Isabelle and Simon had found in random thrift stores and refinished. Near the cash was a large display window filled each day with new treats, courtesy of Clary and Maia who worked in the kitchen. 

Simon was Alec’s second in command of sorts, but his official job was manning the cash register. He and Alec had gone to university together and opening the cafe would have impossible without Simon’s help. Not that Alec would ever tell him that.

The morning rush had died down and the few customers they had were all attended for and lounging on the couches. Simon took the lapse in customers to ask what Alec was sure he had been dying to ask since Alec called him about it earlier in the week. 

“So, you’re a father now, huh?” 

Alec straightened the pastries in the display window. “No. Well, I guess you could call it that. I don’t know, it doesn’t feel like it. It’s been three weeks since the funeral, and I still feel like I’m a live-in babysitter.”

Simon leaned against the counter, nodding. “I don’t have much advice, seeing as I have literally zero expertise in this area. But if I know you, and I believe I do, you’re probably taking control of the situation and doing a good job.” 

Alec laughed. “Thanks, Si. And for the record, you don’t have expertise in most areas you give advice on.” 

Simon put a hand over his chest, shaking his head. “Excuse you, but I am very knowledgeable in all my advice-giving.” Alec fixed him with a look. “Okay, most of my advice giving. Whatever.” They were interrupted by a customer. Simon quickly made her a coffee and rung her through, turning back to Alec when he was done. “So how’s co-parenting with Magnus Bane?”

He rolled his eyes. “Do you have to say his name like that? You make him sound like some sort of elusive pop star.” 

Simon shrugged. “Not sure about the pop star part, but he’s pretty elusive. You’ve known him for what, a year? None of us have ever met him. Even Isabelle and she somehow manages to find out everything about your life.” 

Alec shook his head. “You’re lucky you haven’t. He’s a real piece of work.” 

Together, he and Magnus had decided to keep the news about them adopting Madzie as quiet as they could, at least for the first week or so. Alec assumed it would be difficult to keep it from everyone at the funeral but most people out of respect, hadn’t pressed. They told everyone that they would be looking after Madzie for the time being. Only Alec’s siblings and Magnus’ close friends, Ragnor and Catarina, knew the truth. 

The time had given them some space to get used to the world of parenthood and to each other. Living together hadn’t gotten much easier but after the fight that first night, Magnus appeared to be making more of an effort. At the very least, he wasn’t intentionally trying to push Alec’s buttons anymore and had been doing more around the house. 

Caring for Madzie too, had become easier. It was still hard and both of them were often running on little sleep, but they were getting a hang of things quickly. They had become more comfortable in the house too. Alec handled most of the meals, but Magnus usually made breakfast when Alec had to be at work early. They had also both brought most of their belongings. Magnus still refused to sell his apartment, but Alec had sold his, moving whatever he couldn’t bring to the house in a storage locker.

Magnus had also, true to his word, brought along his cat. Alec wasn’t much of a cat person himself, but he had to admit the small furball was growing on him. Madzie certainly seemed to enjoy Chairman Meow (seriously, who named their cat _that?_ ). She would squeal excitedly whenever he walked into a room, reaching out and cooing at him. The Chairman seemed to still be deciding on Madzie though, warily walking towards her but never getting close enough for her clumsy fists to grab. 

All things considered, they had fallen into a routine fairly quickly. With their virtually opposite work schedules, dividing up jobs was easy. Magnus worked most weekends at night and a few weekdays, so he would generally care for Madzie during the daytime. Alec usually worked during the week in the day so he would come home and relieve Magnus before the latter headed off to work. The only time there was ever any conflicts was if Alec had a catering gig or Magnus had an afternoon meeting, but for the most part they worked it out.

“A piece of work? Oh Alexander, I hope you’re talking about me.” He and Simon looked up at the sound of Magnus’ voice. Today was one of those days when Magnus had an engagement in the afternoon and was dropping Madzie off at the shop. 

Magnus had also started calling him Alexander again. It had annoyed Alec to no end at first, only his parents ever called him that, but he figured he had to pick his battles with Magnus and him addressing Alec by his full name wasn’t something he thought deserved a fight. 

Alec let out a deep sigh. “Who else would I be talking about?” Magnus just smirked. He had Madzie propped on one hip, stroller in the other hand. He was dressed to the nines in a very colourful designer suit and had applied full makeup, jewelry and hair dye for whatever meeting he was on his way to. He had dressed Madzie as well, the little girl in a purple dress and a matching headband with a large flower in the middle. She was currently playing with one of the pendants around Magnus’ neck, holding it in her small fingers. 

Walking around the counter, Alec took Madzie in his arms, gesturing between the two of them. “Magnus, meet Simon. Simon this is Magnus.” Simon too, walked around the counter, holding his hand out to shake but at the last minute deciding to try and fistbump Magnus. Alec chuckled watching Magnus’ confused expression as he tried to decide what to do. He ended up just dropping his hand, giving Simon a small nod in greeting. 

Simon wasn’t deterred though. “It’s nice to meet you, Magnus. We’ve heard a lot about you.” 

Magnus’ interest was piqued at that and he raised an eyebrow in Alec’s direction. “Oh have you? Only great things, I presume?”

Alec scoffed. Simon shot him a look. “Of course! I think it’s a great thing what you two are doing for Madzie.” 

Magnus sent him a genuine smile. “Well, that’s very nice of you to say. Thank you. You would think some of your manners would rub off on Alexander with all the time you two spend together, but alas no such luck.” 

Alec pursed his lips. “Don’t you have a meeting to get to?” He set Madzie on the counter, bracketing her with his arms so she didn’t fall. Simon was making faces at her over Alec’s shoulder causing her to giggle. 

Magnus grinned. “Right you are, Alexander.” He gestured to Madzie. “She has been fed, watered and changed, no need to thank me.” He turned on his heel and walked to the door, waving over his shoulder. “I’ll see you at home sometime this evening. It was nice to meet you Simon!”

Alec shook his head, perplexed. After weeks of living with Magnus, he still wasn’t sure what to make of him. They had developed a sort of truce between them. Alec wouldn’t go as far as to say it was a friendship, but more of a ceasefire of sorts. Spending more time with him had also stopped the ever-present annoyance Alec used to feel whenever he was so much as in the same room as Magnus. Sure, he still got on Alec’s nerves, but it was more the annoyance one felt with a irritating co-worker than a mortal enemy. 

That had to be an improvement, right?

Madzie, still sitting on the counter, fisted her small hand in Alec’s shirt trying to get his attention. He lowered himself so he was more at her height. “Hello there, little miss sunshine.” Madzie grinned at him, her limited teeth showing. “I missed you today. Did you have a good day with Magnus?” She made a sort of gurgling noise, clapping her hands which Alec assumed was her way of saying yes. 

Alec chuckled and picked her up, resting her on his hip. “Well that’s good.”

He spent the next few hours continuing his usual work day; milling around the store, checking on customers and making sure everything was in order. The only difference was that he now had a baby on his hip. Alec had never understood how some moms did everything with their children in their arms, and he still didn’t; it was a lot harder than it looked. 

Simon, Maia and Clary were great for swapping out with him if he needed to check on something that required two hands. In fact, all of them were eagerly following him around, vying for their turn to hold her. 

Madzie was quite a hit with the customers too. Alec was out on the floor and he could feel the watchful eyes of patrons - particularly the women - following him around. One woman actually came up to him and gave him her number, and told him to call her if he ever needed help. "If you ever need someone to watch your daughter, or just to keep you company, call me." Her hand had rested on his bicep for far too long to be friendly. 

Simon, who was behind the counter cackled loudly as soon as the woman was out of earshot. He let out a wolf whistle. “I need to get me one of those.” He joked, pointing to the giggling Madzie. “She’s a chick magnet.” He paused. “Wait, can I borrow her for the day some time?”

Alec reached across the counter and smacked him on the head. “No. You’re not using my goddaughter as a tool to pick up women.” 

Simon sighed grumpily. “It’s not fair that her gift is wasted on you. You’re not even interested in women.” 

Chuckling, Alec adjusted Madzie on his hip. “Maybe one day we’ll attract a single bachelor, right Madzie? Uncle Simon is just jealous because he hasn’t had you-know-what in a very long time.” Clary snickered where she was refilling the display cabinet. 

“Hey! You haven’t either!” Simon objected.

Alec grinned. “But I have the chick magnet, remember? I’m sure it works both ways.” He grinned down at Madzie. “Right?” She clapped her hands. “See? Madzie is going to find me a suitable boyfriend in no time.” 

Simon rolled his eyes but grinned, shaking his head and went back to work. 

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought on[Twitter](https://twitter.com/insiemes) or [Tumblr](http://insiemes.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Also, thank you to my amazing beta [Kaitlyn](http://archiveofourown.org/users/little_loving_lefty) who always looks over my work no matter what <3 
> 
> See you soon angels!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Magnus decide to redecorate their house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the final chapter is finally up! I apologize for the incredibly long wait, but it's here :) 
> 
> I don't have a hashtag for this fic, but you can [tweet me](https://twitter.com/insiemes) if you want to chat :) 
> 
>  
> 
> Happy reading!

“Magnus! We need to leave now or we’re going to be late!” 

Magnus answered Alec’s call with what sounded like a confirmation from the upstairs guest room where he was getting ready. He could hear the faint sound of music playing and knew from past experience that he might as well accept the fact that they were going to be late.

Turning his attention back to Madzie, he saw that she had pulled a colourful set of cups from her toy bin to entertain herself with. He had placed her on a blanket on the floor beside him, knowing Magnus well enough to know that they would be waiting a while for him. Madzie and Alec had been ready to leave half an hour ago - the time he and Magnus had agreed on the night before - but the other man was still in his room. To his credit, he had come home from work later than usual last night and he was running on the least amount of sleep of the three of them. Alec, whose bedroom was still the living room couch, had heard the door clearly in the middle of the night. Thankfully, he hadn’t woken Madzie up, but they were still paying for it this morning. 

Madzie stacked all of her cups into a tower and then proceeded to knock them all down again. She repeated the action a few times, each time giggling and looking up to Alec to see that he was laughing as well.

Chuckling, Alec leaned down so that he was lying on his side so that he was closer to her height. He stacked two of the cups for her and she tracked his movements closely. She was doing that that - watching them - more and more as of late. They had noticed it increasingly over the past few weeks; she would observe their behaviour closely and on the odd occasion even imitate their mannerisms or words. On one memorable occasion, Alec had been retelling a story about a difficult customer at the dinner table one evening after work. He was interrupted midstory by Magnus, who was doing his best to contain his laughter, hand covering his mouth and eyes sparkling with mirth. Looking over at Madzie, Alec saw her waving her fork around with a pout on her face, babbling random words; the same thing he had been doing just moments before. 

It was cute to watch the things she would pick up. She had certainly noticed and adapted Magnus’ flare for the dramatics and had begun sighing loudly at random times during the day - for no particular reason (very similarly to Magnus, Alec noted). She had picked up a few funny traits from him too, or at least tried to. One evening when they were bathing her, they noticed her face scrunching up and her eyes closing. After watching her curiously for a few more minutes, Alec recognized that she was trying to roll her eyes. Alec had been laughing so hard that he could hardly keep the phone steady to film it. 

While it was sometimes adorable, it also meant that they had to be extra conscientious of their words and actions around her for she could pick up something they didn’t want her to. According to some of the parenting books Alec had purchased, she had entered the age range and could begin talking at any moment. Many of the books said that she would be using adults in her life as models for forming her first words. At this age, they likened children to sponges, soaking up all the information around them and cataloging it for later use. Because of this, he and Magnus had taken to spelling out words that were less than appropriate around Madzie; when they argued, any outsider would probably find them ridiculous, spelling out various curse words and insults.

But the amount of arguments around the house had actually gone down dramatically in the past few months. If they ever did argue, it was generally more of the playful nature and was usually just the two of them trading banter back and forth. Alec liked to think that it was because spelling out words was much more time consuming and annoying, but he knew that somewhere along the lines, he and Magnus had become good friends. Alec had stopped looking at him as the annoying, radical party animal that he used to see him as and more as a friend. Magnus was absolutely incredible with Madzie and after that first day, had never given Alec a reason to question his ability to parent her. He was funny and witty and usually went out of his way to make Alec laugh every single day, but he was also incredibly kind and open hearted. Alec was really happy that their relationship was positive steps, and only saw it continuing to grow as time went on.

Except when Magnus insisted on infuriating him by continuously being late. For absolutely everything. 

“Want to go for a walk?” She blinked up at him. Alec stood up, crouching next to her and reached out to grabbed her hands, pulling her up so that she was standing with his support. “Come on, sweet pea. Let’s go find Magnus and kick his a-s-s for being late.” Standing over top of her and continuing to hold her hands, he slowly stepped forward. Madzie took a few clumsy steps to try and make up the ground, small fingers gripping tightly to his own. One of his steps was about four of hers so the process wasn’t exactly speedy, but it was supposed to be productive. This was another thing the books said to do; apparently getting them to walk with someone else got them walking on their own faster, kind of like training wheels on a bike. 

Slowly, the two of them moved towards the stairs. “You’re doing great, sweetheart. A few more steps and we’re there.” Her little tongue was stuck out in concentration and Alec had to fight the urge to coo. He had put her in a dress today, but with a pair of white and pink sneakers. They had taken to putting her in practical shoes almost every day now, hoping that she would soon take her first steps and wanted her to be prepared. 

She stumbled on the last little bit, finally reaching the base of the stairs. Alec dropped her hands, intending on picking her up and carrying her the rest of the way. To his surprise, she immediately began climbing the stairs in front of her, using both her hands and feet to pull herself up. He felt a swell of pride in his chest. “Well, look at you, little miss! I always knew you’d be a little overachiever, just like your mommy.” He laughed, following close behind - ready to catch her if she fell. 

It was moments like these that Alec really wished he had his best friend. He obviously missed Lydia every single day, but when Madzie did something particularly amazing, Alec really wished her mother were here to see it and to share it with her. 

Slowly but surely, she made it to the top all on her own. She let out a loud huff and sat down once she reached flat ground. Alec scooped her up into his arms and gave her a big kiss on the cheek. “How are you already so big? You just conquered your first set of stairs and before you know it, we’ll be sending you off to college.” He shook his head, grinning at her. “You’re going to make Magnus cry a lot on that day, aren't you? He’ll want to keep hugging you and setting up your room and in the end he’s going to force me to drag him out.” 

She grinned back at him, small teeth showing. A few more had grown in over the past few weeks, making for some sleepless nights for the three of them. Alec had no memory of his own teeth growing in, but if Madzie’s pained screams were anything to go by, it was a horribly unpleasant experience. Magnus and Alec had been taking turns switching off every few hours to try and get some sleep, but poor Madzie hadn’t slept much. Alec hated seeing her in so much pain and they had done everything they could to make her comfortable but some things were out of their control. 

But she now proudly displayed five pearly white teeth, clearly forgetting what a pain they had been coming in. 

He set her down on her feet again and together, they walked towards Magnus’ bedroom. The door was ajar and Alec could hear Magnus moving around inside, pop music coming from the speakers. He walked Madzie right to the door, gently knocking with his elbow. 

“Come in!”

They pushed the door open (well, mostly Alec but Madzie contributed by kicking it with her foot), stepping inside the room. Alec quickly scanned the room, eyes almost missing Magnus but he did a double take and almost wished that he hadn’t. It caused him to almost drop Madzie. 

Magnus was sitting in the desk chair doing his makeup. This wasn’t out of the ordinary and Alec had gotten used to seeing Magnus do his morning routine in various parts of the house - the kitchen, the living room or even in the car. What caught Alec by surprise was that he was wearing a pair of satin pajama pants and nothing else, applying eyeliner to make his eyes look even more feline. But Alec was admittedly not looking at Magnus’ eyes when there was so much else to look at. So much smooth, hard chest, broad shoulders, defined arms and bronzed honey skin. 

The room suddenly had become smaller and decidedly hotter. 

He had no idea that Magnus looked like _that_ underneath all of his clothing. He had seen glimpses of Magnus’ chest from the deep cut shirts he usually wore, but faced with the entire upper half of his body made Alec swallow thickly and turn his head away. Alec was very suddenly and rudely made aware of how long it had been since he had last been with anyone. Having a toddler made it nearly impossible, but even before Madzie it had been a while.  
Seeing Magnus looking like that reawakened the more … primal side of him. 

Magnus lazily turned his head and made eye contact with Alec but his attention was quickly grabbed by Madzie, who was still standing between Alec’s legs. He abandoned the black eye pencil he had been holding and stood up, (giving Alec a full frontal view of his sculpted abs, and silk pants that didn’t leave much to the imagination) coming towards them and crouching in front of Madzie. Alec worked really hard not to focus too long on the way the slippery material clung to his skin. “Look at you, sweetpea! So grown up, standing almost all by yourself.” Madzie gave him a toothy grin and Magnus chuckled. He stood up to his full height and opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he focused on Alec’s face, eyebrow raised. 

“Are you alright? You look a little flushed.” 

Alec prayed his mortification didn’t show on his face but knew his cheeks were heating up, the colour probably seeping down his neck. He shook his head, clearing his throat and trying his best to focus on Magnus’ face only. “I’m fine. Just a little winded from the stairs is all.” 

He cringed at the lie, but Magnus seemed to accept it, shrugging. “You need to work out more, Alexander. You’re not getting any younger and you don’t want to negatively affect your health. Or worse -” he paused, shuddering. “- your physique.” 

It took Alec a moment too long to realize that Magnus was making a joke. A _flirty_ joke. 

After a brief and slightly awkward delay, Alec let out a small chuckle. For lack of anything to do with his hands, he picked Madzie up off the ground. “My physique is just fine, thank you very much.” He thought the flirty tone would be forced and awkward coming out of his mouth, but he was surprised to note that it was rather easy, tainting his words naturally.

Magnus bit his lip and lazily let his eyes travel down his body, as if sizing up Alec’s figure for himself. Alec had to consciously force the blush to remain off his cheeks, and if Magnus’ smirk was anything to go by, he hadn’t done a very good job. He wasn’t used to letting himself get affected by Magnus like this. 

“I can hardly argue with you when you’re standing in front of me looking like a tall glass of water, now can I?” Alec choked out something between a cough and a laugh and Magnus grinned, looking very impressed with himself that he got a reaction out of him. “If you want, I can help you with some workouts. I know some good positions you could try that are very … satisfying.”

Alec placed Madzie in the middle of the bed and sat down beside her, determined to veer the conversation to something that wouldn’t be bad for his health. Or his sanity. “So, I was thinking, we should do something about the house.” 

Magnus looked slightly disappointed at the abrupt change in conversation but disappeared into the walk-in closet. “What do you mean? Like sell it?”

Alec shook his head. Madzie was laying on her back holding onto his fingers and he wiggled them absentmindedly. She reached to grab the digits as they moved. “No, not that. Lydia and John wanted us to live here, and I don’t think it’s a horrible idea.” He looked down at the smiling toddler. “She’s comfortable here.” He shrugged. “Besides, it hasn’t been going all that bad so far.”

Still in the closet, Magnus called out. “So then what did you have in mind?”

Alec shrugged again, before he remembered that Magnus couldn’t see him. “I’m not sure. But I think it’s time we stop thinking of it as their house and start thinking of it as our own. It’s in our name after all” 

He had been thinking about this idea for a while, changing some things up in the house. Lydia and John wanted them to live here, but Alec was sure that they didn’t want them to live like they were in a museum; looking at everything but never being allowed to touch. It had gotten easier for both of them to be in the house and to know their way around over the past couple months but they hadn’t yet done anything to make it their own. Everything was still exactly the same as it had always been. 

Magnus emerged from the closet, thankfully fully clothed. “That’s not a bad idea actually. The colour on these walls is quite depressing. Also the living room needs some definite modernization. I have some art around my loft that I could bring over.”

Alec nodded. “We don’t have to go crazy, just make it more ours, you know? Like I love both of them, but it’s hard to feel at home when I walk by all of their family pictures every day.” 

Magnus pulled his phone out, typing out a few quick messages before putting it back in his pocket. “There.” Alec raised his eyebrows. Magnus sighed, clearly unimpressed that Alec hadn’t understood what he just did, though Alec wasn’t sure how he was ever supposed to have figured it out. “I just texted my designer and my photographer. We can have this house looking like our own in minimum, a few weeks.” 

“You have a photographer?” 

Magnus smiled. “I don’t have my own photographer, Alexander. But I do have one who works for the club and he owns a studio where he does portraits during the day. You said you don’t want to look at Lydia and John’s, so we’ll get our own done.”

Alec tried to wrap his mind around the fact that Magnus Bane had just arranged for them to get family portraits done, when less than a year ago he could hardly stand to be in the same room as him. 

He was once again hit with how drastically his life had changed in such a short time. 

They had an appointment with the lawyer and a social worker in the morning, so Magnus had scheduled the portraits for later that day. Getting Madzie ready to go out for the day was an event in itself, and when you added Magnus to that equation it was nearly impossible. When Alec voiced this to Magnus, he just said ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, Alexander’.

On the way out the door, Alec grabbed both a change of clothes for Madzie and himself. When he had gotten dressed this morning, he hadn’t been planning on being in any photos, much less ones that were going to be going on his wall. The same went for Madzie, who looked adorable in her dress but was probably not suitable enough for a photoshoot. 

They arrived at the lawyer's office (half an hour late) and rushed inside for the meeting. Magnus smoothly lied that they were late because Madzie hadn’t wanted to eat her breakfast and no one questioned it. Another thing about having a toddler was that no one thought twice when you were late. People actually _assumed_ you would be which was something Magnus definitely took advantage of, especially because he knew how much it annoyed Alec. 

The appointment was just a check in to see how they were settling in. Since Madzie had been sent to CPS, a social worker had been assigned to her case to monitor her care and see how the three of them were adjusting, but it was mainly just a formality. She asked questions like how co-parenting was going, about Madzie’s development and if she had shown any signs of grief. They answered all of her questions and in the end she said that they were doing just fine, considering the situation they had been thrown into. 

They left the office with instructions to come back again in a few months for another check-in and to call if they ever needed anything. 

They had a few hours to kill before they met with the photographer so they decided to go out somewhere for lunch. Summer had just started and the heat hadn’t hit too badly yet, but it was still warm so they strapped Madzie in the stroller and decided to walk downtown instead of driving. 

The street was alive with people shopping, getting a bite to eat or just enjoying the nice weather. Lydia and John had chosen a beautiful neighbourhood just outside of New York, about an hour away from the city. Alec had lived right downtown growing up but moved just a town over from Lydia when he opened his business; both to be closer to his best friend and to get away from the busy city life. Alec always thought he would miss the big city bustle but the small town had grown on him.

They eventually settled on a small cafe downtown that Magnus had been to before. He chuckled when they walked in, watching Alec look around the place. “Sizing up the competition?”

“It doesn’t hurt to know who you're up against.” Alec huffed, laughing. “I’m sure you do the same thing with local nightclubs.” 

Magnus grinned. “Ah, but that is where you’re wrong, darling. I know that my club is the best, as do my competitors.” Alec shook his head, letting a smile creep on his face. “But for what it’s worth,” Magnus continued, lowering his voice. “The scones at your cafe are much better than this place.” 

The hostess came and sat them near the window and took their drink orders before leaving them alone. They were sitting across from each other and on it’s own accord, Alec’s mind wandered to what it would be like to sit across from Magnus on a real date. He immediately shook the thought from his head, telling himself to get a grip. They had tried that once and it hadn’t ended well. Besides, it wasn’t like them going on a date would ever actually work. 

Also, if they were on a real date Madzie probably wouldn’t be sitting between them in a high chair, ripping a napkin into tiny pieces. 

While they waited for the waitress to return, they tried to plan changes for things they wanted to do to the house. Most of Magnus’ ideas included changing the wall colours and bringing some of his furniture from the loft. Alec did his best to listen and have an open mind but had to turn down a few that were too crazy; the silver chrome couch Magnus had suggested for the living room, for example. They also decided that it was time to clean out the master bedroom. It had been two months now and they both felt it was the one thing still tying the house to it’s previous owners. It would be something they could do together, and give both them and the house a fresh start.

“I like the idea of completely remodeling the room. I don’t think I would feel right sleeping there if it still looked the same. Besides, it would be nice to get off that couch.” Alec said, chuckling. 

“When the designer comes we can talk about styles you like.” 

“You’re going to have to input as well. I don’t have a very great concept of design and colours.” Magnus grinned, looking pointedly at Madzie’s outfit. Alec thought the pink dress and blue tights she was wearing were adorable but Magnus clearly had another opinion. “Hey! I’m trying here! It’s hard when she has outfits of every single colour under the rainbow.” Alec laughed defensively. 

“Madzie is going to start dressing herself very early on if you keep this up.” Magnus quipped, laughing.

Alec sighed and rolled his eyes, but admitted defeat. Maybe the blue tights were a little much. 

The waitress returned a while later, bringing their meals (sandwiches for Magnus and Alec and chopped fruit and oatmeal for Madzie). She set the plates down, smiling kindly at them. “How old is your daughter? She is so precious.” 

Alec was about to correct the woman that Madzie wasn’t their daughter before he stopped himself. Magnus met his eye, but turned to the server and gave her a dazzling smile. “She actually just had her 16 month birthday last week.” 

She made a face at Madzie, who giggled and made one back. “Well congratulations you two. She’s beautiful.” Magnus thanked her and Alec sent her a small smile as she walked away. 

They were silent for a while after she left. Alec distracted himself by making sure Madzie was eating enough, mashing her fruit into her oatmeal the way she liked. But she seemed content to hold the spoon in her hand and swirl the contents of the bowl, occasionally bringing some to her mouth, leaving Alec to go back to his own meal. 

Magnus sighed, clearly having had enough of Alec’s silence. “What’s wrong?” 

Looking up quickly, Alec shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “Nothing, I’m fine.” Magnus continued to wait patiently, looking at Alec over his plate. “Fine. I just - why didn’t you tell her we weren’t Madzie’s dads?” 

He wasn’t sure why the thought was bugging him so much. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to belittle Madzie’s real parents in any way. Or maybe it was because even after two months, he still didn’t feel like her father. 

Magnus watched him, curious expression on his face. “Well, what else would you call us? We live with her, we are her primary caregivers and she’s got no one else, Alec. We’re about as close to parents as it gets.” 

Alec bit his lip, sighing. “I know, I know. It’s just … strange. I’ve gotten around the fact that we’re in this situation but introducing ourselves as her parents? It just seems weird.”

Slowly, almost tentatively, Magnus reached across the table and laid his hand across Alec’s. The motion caused him to jerk slightly but he held his place, looking into Magnus’ eyes. “It’s going to take some getting used to but soon it will seem normal. Or as normal as things can ever be in this situation. And of course we’ll tell her about John and Lydia, but I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world to be her father, right?”

The way Magnus spoke made Alec’s heart flutter in a way he never anticipated. It made him imagine a life where he and Magnus were real parents, parents who loved each other and raised Madzie as their own. It made him wonder what it would be like to have birthday parties, barbeques, date nights and quiet moments where they sat downstairs and tried not to wake the kids while they talked and sipped on wine by the fire. 

But another thing it did - which must have been Magnus’ end goal - was help Alec realize that he wanted that life. He wanted to be a father. He supposed he always knew he wanted to, he had just been holding the thought back in respect for Lydia. 

“It wouldn’t be bad at all.” Alec said softly. A quiet bubble of serenity had settled around them and Alec allowed himself a few more moments to soak in it, relishing in the feeling of Magnus’ hand on his and the way he was looking at him, peaceful and happy. He knew that this couldn’t work, that they couldn’t work. He wasn’t sure if he even wanted Magnus that way, or if he just liked the idea of the life they could have together. They had gotten considerably closer, but could Alec see himself falling in love with the man in front of him? 

They startled apart by Madzie, who had chosen that exact moment to utter her first ever word.

“Dada.”

 

***

 

The dancefloors at Pandemonium were completely packed with people. Sweaty, drunk young people all out on a weekend to have a good time. 

Magnus stood out on the small balcony off of his upstairs office, surveying the club as a king would survey his subjects. The dim lights made it difficult to see much more than a swirling mass of bodies but Magnus wasn’t entirely sure he wanted a clear view of what was going on below anyway. He had been down in the bowels of the club before, and knew what kind of activities went on in the darkest corners. 

He turned his back on the crowd, walking through the doors and shutting them behind him, effectively cutting off a good portion of the noise. The bass could be felt thumping through the floorboards but it was much more subdued. His office was small but ornate, the perfect size for how much he used it. The walls were a deep blood red with black leather furniture and a large mahogany desk in the middle of the room. 

Raphael sat in one of the ornate leather chairs in the corner of the room, sipping a glass of whiskey. “Not going out there tonight?”

Magnus poured himself a drink and settled in across from his friend. The two of them had gone to school together as teenagers and decided they would go into business together one day. Magnus had opened his club and Raphael owned a liquor company, supplying all the alcohol sold on the premises. He wasn’t usually one to actually come to the club but he did every once in awhile, always sitting up in the privacy of Magnus’ office. 

“Not tonight.” 

Raphael raised an eyebrow. “Are you ill? You never drop the chance to have inebriated young men and women clamouring for your attention.” 

Magnus snorted, rolling his eyes. “While that is usually the case, I don’t really feel up to it tonight.” In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure why he wasn’t down there with the crowd, dancing and drinking. One of the best parts about owning a club was getting to enjoy all of its assets for free each week, and Magnus had always taken advantage of that in the past. So why wasn’t he now?

He pulled out his phone to check for any messages. When he had left home that night, Madzie had had a slight fever but Alec promised to check on her every hour and text Magnus if it got any worse. But the only thing that greeted him when he unlocked the screen was a picture of a grinning Madzie from the other week after she had dumped a bowl on her head, pasta sauce all over her face and noodles in her hair. 

Raphael studied Magnus from across the room. He was sipping his drink slowly, eyes narrowing as he watched him. Magnus smirked. “See something you like, Santiago?”

“You wish, _hermano_. Just trying to figure out who you are and what you’ve done with my best friend.” 

Magnus shrugged, taking a sip of whiskey. “I’m a family man now, my friend. I can’t exactly be going home drunk or bringing some new shag home every weekend, now can I? Sends the wrong message to Madzie.” 

Raphael smirked. “And how is the little rugrat these days?” 

Magnus pulled his phone out again, opening the photos app. He showed Raphael just a few of the recent ones he had taken: Madzie riding the swings at the park; her sitting on Alec’s shoulders when they went into town; when she fell asleep during dinner, right into her bowl; her curled up on Alec’s chest, both of them fast asleep on the couch. 

The last one was probably Magnus’ favourite. He had been upstairs with the designer working on the master bedroom (Alec had been adamant that Magnus would be better at designing it than him) and came down the stairs to show her out. He had walked into the living room to find Alec and Madzie cuddled together on the couch, both of them exhausted from another night of long battles with Madzie’s ever growing teeth. 

Every time he showed Raphael a picture, he would tell him the accompanying story. So many of them were just too adorable not to share. The other man listened along, but it was clear from his expression that he did not feel the joy that Magnus did at the stories. 

“Sounds like you’ve got it all worked out. You’re finally an adult with a house, husband and kid.” He raised his glass in a cheers. “Congratulations.”

Magnus shook his head fondly. “Very funny. I’m still the same person I was before, but I just have Madzie now.”

“And Alec.” Raphael reminded. 

“I don’t _have_ Alec.” Magnus replied, raising an eyebrow. “We’re simply just co-parenting.” 

“And cohabitating. And co- whatever it’s called when you fall in love with your housemate.”  
Magnus did actually laugh out loud that time. In love with Alec? What a ridiculous concept.  
When he voiced this to Raphael, the other man just smirked, sipping his drink. “You may not realize it yet, but you are head over heels for that boy. It’s all over your face when you talk about him. It’s rather sickening actually.” 

Scoffing, Magnus shook his head. “I don’t know what’s in your cup, but you should check your supplier. Do you not remember the very brief and very horrible romantic period Alexander and I had? Of course I’m not in love with him.” 

Raphael held his hands up in surrender. “It’s okay, _amigo_. I won’t judge. But before you deny it again, just think about what I said, yeah? You’re raising a baby with this man, living in an expensive house and doing domestic shit like redecorating. Also, during this conversation you have looked at your phone five times, waiting for his call.” 

Magnus almost threw his phone on reflex, as if to show that he wasn’t looking at it. Raphael was reading too much into this, of that he was sure. 

He couldn’t be in love with Alec, could he?

Before he had time to contemplate that thought any further, his phone did actually started ringing in his palm. “You better pick up,” Raphael grinned, leaning back in his chair. “You don’t want to keep your betrothed waiting.” 

Magnus ignored him, in favour of picking up the call. “Alexander?” 

Alec confirmed on the phone what Magnus had been worried about all night; Madzie’s fever had gotten worse. He told Magnus he had kept her in bed with him so he could check on her every hour and it had slowly increased to above 39 degrees celsius over the course of the night. 

“Do I take her to the hospital? I feel like this is something we should go to the hospital for, but are they just going to tell us we’re overparenting and send us away?” His voice was rushed and he could hear Madzie crying, probably in Alec’s arms.

“Take her to the emergency room and I’ll meet you there, okay?” He waited for a confirmation from Alec, who eventually gave one. “And Alec?”

“Yeah?”

“Drive safe. Please.” 

Alec was quiet on the other end and all Magnus could hear was the sound of Madzie crying. He worried for a moment that Alec hadn’t heard him but then he heard a soft expel of breath from the other man. “I will. You too.” He said softly. 

He hung up the phone to find Raphael looking at him with a look that said he knew more about Magnus than Magnus did himself. He held up a single finger, silencing whatever Raphael was going to say next. “We’re not doing this now. My daughter is sick and I need to go be with her, but if you still want to discuss your delusions in a few days, I’ll call you.” 

Raphael just grinned and gave Magnus a salute. “Hope the little monster is okay. And say hi to your husband for me!”

Running out the door, Magnus spared enough time to throw up his middle finger, calling out “He’s not my husband!” 

 

***

 

“Be careful with that! It’s an original Picasso!” 

Magnus heard a laugh behind him and turned to see Alec leaning against the doorframe, coffee cup in hand, smirking. He looked the picture of domestic relaxation, old t-shirt on and pajama pants slung low on his narrow hips. His hair was still messy from the little sleep he had gotten, slight purple bruises under his eyes from being up all night with Madzie. They had gotten her into the hospital quickly and the doctor had prescribed basic antibiotics, telling them it was just a fever but they had caught it early enough that she was going to be okay. It had been two days and she was already looking much better. “An original Picasso? Magnus, I know you have money but you don’t have _that_ much money.”

“They don’t need to know that.” He huffed. “Besides, it’s a really good replica and I don’t want anything to happen to it.” Alec just shook his head and grinned into his coffee cup, retreating back to the kitchen.

Over the past few weeks they had slowly been making the house their own. They started by changing some of the wall colours, brightening some rooms and moving the furniture around. The pictures they had gotten done had turned out perfectly, and now hung in frames along the walls and up the staircase. Magnus’ personal favourite was a picture of the three of them they had put above the fireplace; he was holding Madzie in his arms, but the two of them were looking at Alec who had the biggest smile on his face. Magnus didn’t know why he liked it so much, probably for the fact that it was completely candid. Alec had told a joke that hadn’t been the least bit funny but he had found hilarious, and so Madzie and Magnus had been laughing at his laughter, all three of them unaware the photographer was taking pictures. 

They had also done some nice portraits of Madzie, adding a few of them to her baby book as well as some of the milestones she had recently hit. They found the book when they finally got around the cleaning out the master bedroom. Lydia had taken time to make it by hand and add pages and pictures like a scrapbook. Alec had taken it on as a personal mission of his to continue the book for Lydia, and in turn always had a camera handy. 

Since her first word, Madzie had hit many more important milestones in the past few weeks. She was speaking more now, or at least doing her best to. Her most commonly used word was ‘dada’ for Alec and ‘caca’ for Magnus’ cat, Chairman Meow. She had more words in her repertoire but many of them were unintelligible and were difficult for Magnus and Alec to determine, but they did their best. Alec, on the other hand, had seemingly accepted his paternal role and each time Madzie would call him Dada his face would light up with the most beautiful grin. They had been working together to get her to call Magnus Papa, but so far the closest she had gotten was “pa”. 

She had also been getting closer to walking on her own. If they turned their backs for just a second, she would be crawling towards the stairs and pulling herself up, climbing to the top. She was getting quite good at getting herself into a standing position using the furniture, but whenever they encouraged her to take a step towards them she would fall backwards onto the ground. 

Magnus watched the movers bring his possessions into the house from the front window. He had finally decided it was time to sell the loft. He had been keeping it, holding onto the hope that it would still be there when his life went back to normal, but he was quickly starting to realize that his life would never completely go back to normal. It took him by surprise at first but he was slowly starting to become okay with that. Sometimes he found himself missing his old life but then Madzie would do something amazing or funny that would make him and Alec laugh and he would forget every reason why he ever missed it. 

He looked through the kitchen door to see Alec standing by the counter, Madzie sitting in front of him swinging her small legs happily. He was cleaning the mess of breakfast off her face and hands, blowing raspberries into her stomach and leaving her in a fit of giggles. 

No, he didn’t miss his old life much anymore. 

Once she was all cleaned up, Madzie and Alec emerged from the kitchen. “Look, Madzie.” Alec said, grinning. “Pa is turning into one of those creepy old ladies who watches all the neighbours.” 

Magnus turned away from the window, rolling his eyes and reaching out to take Madzie. “I don’t see how supervising neanderthal looking teenagers who are handling my expensive possessions qualifies me as a creepy old lady but if it does, so be it.” He looked at Madzie. “Dada is just jealous because he doesn’t have any valuable possessions to supervise, isn’t he?”

He held the back of his hand to her forehead, delighted to feel it almost back to normal. Alec sighed and shook his head, but did a poor job of hiding his smile.

Ever since his talk with Raphael the other night, Magnus had found himself watching Alec more closely. There was nothing physically different about him but there was _something_ different, Magnus just couldn’t place it. He found his gaze drawn to the laugh lines at the corner of his hazel eyes or the scar on his eyebrow where the hair hadn’t grown back properly. He watched him when he was with Madzie, his entire being lighting up when he looked at her like she was the most important thing in the world. 

He noticed other things too. Like the broad line of his shoulders and how they moved and rippled underneath his shirt when he moved. Or the way the garment would ride up when he lifted Madzie above his head. Or his infuriatingly distracting habit of licking his lips, tongue darting out to wet them every few moments.

So he thought Alec was attractive. It was hard not to see the beautiful physical and emotional characteristics of the man, but that didn’t mean he was in love. He just liked to look at Alec. And be with him. 

He was definitely thinking too much into this. 

“Earth to Pa.” Magnus came back to the present to find Alec waving a hand in front of his face. 

“Sorry Alexander, my hearing aids were out ... could you repeat that?” Alec scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

“Isabelle is coming over in half an hour to bring some more of my stuff. I said, you probably want to get dressed before she gets here.” He paused, looking down at Magnus’ attire. “Unless you’re now in the habit of greeting house guests in a kimono.” 

He spelled out some unsavoury words in Alec’s direction and the other man just laughed, not missing a beat before spelling some back. Magnus, the mature adult he was, stuck his tongue out before he took Madzie up with him to get ready while Alec went to the kitchen to clean up the remains of breakfast. He set Madzie in the very middle of the large bed with a handful of toys to entertain herself while he sat down to do his morning routine. Once he was ready, he brought her into the nursery to get her ready for the day as well. 

Magnus would never admit this to Alec, but between the two of them he was getting to be far more skilled when it came to dressing Madzie. It had been entertaining watching him dress her in the beginning, but he learned quickly what did and did not look good together. Alec had grown up with a little sister so he was used to styling hair and had taken to practicing on Madzie. When he was the one to dress her, Madzie usually had the most adorable braids and ponytails, paired with a cute but practical outfit. Magnus on the other hand usually just put her in the cutest thing he could find and stuck to barrettes to hold back her bangs. 

Today was no exception, and she giggled at him as he slipped her into denim overalls and pink converse. He had tried with her hair but had no luck, and had pushed her hair back in a headband which tamed most of the mess. He snapped a picture on his phone when he finished, laughing when he looked back on it. Madzie had stuck her tongue out and had a cheeky look on her face. 

“Sweetpea, you’re going to break hearts one day.” 

“Pa!” She giggled, throwing her hands up when Magnus went to lift her from the change table.

“That’s right.” He smiled. “I am your Pa. Which means I’m going to do background checks on any man or woman who tries to win your affection. Nothing but the best for my girl.”

She stuck her tongue out at him again and babbled something he couldn’t make out. “I’m going to assume that was you saying thank you.” 

Downstairs they found Alec, dressed and ready for the day, setting out coffee and snacks. Magnus raised his eyebrows. Alec shrugged. “My sister is the type of woman who will come in and make her own coffee if it isn’t already set out. I just figured I would save her the time.” 

Alec’s sister had been to the house a few times and she and Magnus had gotten along immediately. She was fun and smart and incredibly beautiful, plus she had an amazing fashion sense. The first thing she had said to Magnus was that she loved his outfit and had asked him to take her shopping. They had developed an easy friendship since then.

Alec came over and grabbed Madzie from him, grinning at her hair. It was Magnus’ turn to shrug. 

They both turned at the sound of the doorbell, signalling Isabelle’s arrival. Alec and Madzie went to greet her while Magnus finished setting out the snacks Alec had started on. It wasn’t long before he heard the click of Isabelle’s heels on the tile as she walked into the room. 

She was dressed flawlessly in black ripped jeans and a red tank top, with a pair of black, thigh-high suede heeled boots. She had Madzie cradled on her hip and had the young girl laughing and giggling. 

“Magnus, hey!” She came over and kissed him on the cheek before taking a seat at the table. Madzie was still on her lap as she reached out to the coffee pot, pouring herself a cup. When Magnus caught Alec’s eye, he was grinning back at him. ‘I told you’, he mouthed. 

They talked for a while, updating Isabelle on what they had been up to. She hadn’t been to the house since they started the renovations, so she was eager to see what they had done. Alec told her about the bakery and how business was going, as Magnus did the same with the nightclub. In turn, Isabelle told them how Alec’s family was doing. Magnus knew Alec hadn’t had as much time as he liked to see his family over the past few months and was out of the loop. 

At one point during the conversation, Madzie started crying. Alec took her from his sister, picking her up and holding her close. “Is it her fever again?” Magnus asked, concerned.

Alec shook his head, hand pressed to her forehead lightly. “I don’t think so. She’s a little warm, but nothing like the other night. She probably just needs to sleep, considering she hasn’t had much in the past few days.” Magnus walked over to the two of them and saw that Alec was right. She was a little warm, but nothing they needed to be worried about at the moment. 

He smiled softly, looking up at Alec. “I’ll take her, Alexander. Stay with your sister.” 

Alec brushed a few stray curls away from her face with his thumb. “Are you sure? It will only take -”

“Alexander.” Magnus interrupted quietly. “It’s okay, darling. I can take her. Besides, you were up with her all night. You need to rest just as much as she does.” Alec only paused a moment before he nodded, handing over a still crying Madzie over to Magnus. He pressed his hand to the small of Magnus’ back in thanks as he walked passed, sending him a grateful smile.

Magnus felt the touch linger on his skin for a few beats after Alec removed his hand, almost as if his hand was touching Magnus’ bare skin. 

 

***

 

“So how's married life, big bro?”

Alec whipped around to make sure Magnus was out of earshot before he turned and threw Isabelle a disbelieving look. “Really, Iz?” 

She shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee. “He’s upstairs, calm down. You may think I’m oblivious but don’t think I haven't noticed the long gazes or lingering touches that have developed since the last time I saw you two. It was about time you two took a step forward, the sexual tension was palpable there for a while. I was afraid I was going to walk right into it.” 

Alec looked behind himself again to ensure that Magnus had indeed gone upstairs. He heard Madzie crying faintly and the telltale sound of Magnus’ footsteps from the floor above them as he no doubt tried to soothe her. “Ok that’s great Iz, except for the fact that Magnus and I are still just friends.” He replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. 

Isabelle laughed, high and airy. “Okay sure, Alec. You’re going to tell me that the exchange that just happened over there,” she gestured to where Magnus had been standing, “- was purely just a platonic, buddy thing?” 

Sitting back in his chair, Alec crossed his arms leveled her with a look. Isabelle squinted at him, probably trying to see if he was lying to her or not. “Alec!” She shouted finally, most likely having come to the realization that he was telling her the truth. 

“Isabelle,” he hissed, “shut up! This isn’t exactly a conversation I want him overhearing.” 

She rolled her eyes but lowered her voice. “Why haven’t you told him how you feel yet?” 

“Maybe for the fact that I don’t even know how I feel yet?” 

Isabelle sighed exasperatedly. Alec was getting the feeling that would be happening frequently in this conversation. “Alec it’s obvious you have strong feelings for Magnus. You guys have been dancing around this ‘I hate you but I also want to sleep with you’ thing for years now, but things are different now. You _know_ him. You two have gone through this crazy thing together and come out the other side. Stronger I might add. Just think of how much things have changed for the better over the past few months.”

It wasn’t hard to see that she was right. It was just hard for Alec to accept what she was saying and apply it to his own life. It got even more difficult when she dropped another bomb. 

“And I’m almost positive you feel things stronger than physical attraction. I daresay it might be love.” 

Alec choked on the sip of coffee he had been taking, coughing to try and clear the liquid from his esophagus. Isabelle rolled her eyes. Once he could breathe again he opened his mouth to deny it, but his sister held up a single, manicured finger to quiet him. “Before you object, really think about what I’m saying. I could be wrong, but that almost never happens so it’s pretty unlikely.”

And so he thought. He was closer with Magnus, that much was true. And he had definitely found his thoughts drifting towards something less than platonic concerning the other man lately, but did that mean Alec had feelings for him? 

Was he in love with Magnus?

Something else to consider was the fact that Isabelle mentioned how he and Magnus used to be; his relationship with Magnus had always been rivalry and bickering, but was it possible that Isabelle had seen something that he hadn’t? Had these feelings been brewing for longer than he was even aware?

He took a moment to examine Magnus, himself and how far they had come. Over the past few months he had found himself actually _wanting_ to see Magnus. Their friendship was easy and Alec often confided in Magnus or asked him for advice. He loved seeing the other man with Madzie and the domestic feelings he had discovered a few weeks ago had only been amplified since then. Even their bickering, which was nearly nonexistent nowadays, was mostly playful banter that Alec actually enjoyed. 

Magnus had slowly but surely crept into his life, sweeping the old aside and making everything new. He had opened up a new world to Alec, a world with Madzie and a world where Alec felt things he never had before. He had felt intense joy, pride and happiness and for the first time he knew what it felt like to be a parent. He _was_ a parent. And all of that had to do with Magnus. 

Alec wasn’t sure exactly when his feelings had shifted away from friendship and towards something more, or even if those feelings had always been there, lying in wait, but he knew Isabelle was right. 

He felt something for Magnus, something much stronger than platonic friendship. 

“Okay, so let’s say you’re right and I have … feelings for him. What happens after that?”

Isabelle sighed. “Oh Alec, you tell him! He deserves to know, and you deserve to be happy.” 

“Telling someone I love them even though they don’t feel the same way will make me happy?” Alec asked, skeptical. 

“No.” She shook her head. “But telling someone you love them and hearing that you are loved in return will.” 

She smiled innocently at him and Alec was reminded of Isabelle, but at a much younger age. She was 23 but most of the time she appeared much older than that. Alec often, as he was now, went to her for advice on things even though he was supposed to be the older and more experienced one. But sometimes he got a momentary flash of innocence. A moment where he saw his little sister as _little_ again. 

He sighed in defeat. “Okay so what if that I tell him that I love him, and by some miracle he feels the same way. What happens next, we date and try things out? Iz, we have Madzie. Things might not work out and if we break up it will ruin the whole thing we’ve got going on here. I can’t risk that. Not for Madzie and not for him. They don’t deserve that.” 

“But what if you try and it works? I know things are good right now Alec, but they could be so much better. You could be living the life you are now, except with Magnus as your partner. You wouldn’t have to sleep alone and worry about how you’re ever going to find someone with the situation you’re in, because I know that’s something you’ve been worrying about. You, Magnus and Madzie can be a real family. You’ll just never know until you try.” 

Alec picked absently at a crack in his coffee cup, mulling over her words. They weren’t anything he hadn’t thought before in his low moments, but this was the first time he was seriously considering them. Isabelle was right in that everything could be so much better, but it was the negative repercussions that scared him. He couldn’t handle something going wrong between the two of them because of a decision they made to further their relationship and it affecting the way they cared for Madzie. Things had gotten so much easier since the two of them had become friends - or whatever they were - and Alec wasn’t ready to go back to the stilted awkwardness they had in the beginning. 

At the same time, he so desperately craved what Isabelle had been describing; a life with Magnus. It had been something he had been struggling with, that he wouldn’t be able to find someone, and that he would be alone forever. By the time Madzie was grown and moved away he would be well past prime dating age. He also often feared that one day Magnus might come home with someone new, someone real and want to start a life with them. Since they had started this whole thing, Magnus hadn’t brought a single person home from the club and for that Alec was grateful, but he wondered if he had maybe Alec would have realized his feelings a lot sooner. He always thought the feelings associated with the thought of Magnus dating were because he didn’t want Magnus to leave him alone with Madzie, but it never occurred to him that it might be because of jealousy. 

But what if he could have it all, Madzie and someone to love? And the fact that all of them were already under the same roof was only an added bonus. 

Alec’s thoughts and their conversation were interrupted by the sound of Magnus’ footsteps coming down the stairs. Alec shook his head at his sister, silently signalling that they were to drop the conversation for now. He saw a flash of sadness in her eyes, but she nodded and asked him more about the remodeling on the house. 

Alec was glad for the distraction, chattering on about colours and textures and other mindless things he could really care less about at the moment. When Magnus joined them, he jumped right into the conversation, seemingly unaware of the heavy atmosphere in the room. Alec was happy to let Magnus take over, telling Isabelle about the finishing touches they were putting on the master bedroom and ideas he had for the kitchen. He sat back in his chair and nodded along, smiling when it was appropriate but his mind was elsewhere. 

It wasn’t far; it was locked on the exuberant, passionate, beautiful man beside him and how he had, unknowingly, fallen head over heels in love with him.

 

***

 

Isabelle stayed later than Alec had expected and by the time they said goodbye to her it was nearing ten o’clock. She had brought the last of Alec’s belongings and helped move them into the master bedroom, her and Magnus shooing him out and telling him the final product was going to be a surprise. A few weeks ago, after a disastrous meeting with the designer, Alec had completely handed over the reins to Magnus and the other man was taking full advantage. 

After dinner, Alec took Madzie upstairs to put her to bed while Magnus and Isabelle cleaned up after the meal. Alec was a little wary leaving his sister alone with Magnus. She was now armed with the information of just how strongly Alec felt for him, but he trusted his sister enough to know she would never intentionally try and hurt him. He worried she might unthinkingly let something slip or even try and gauge to see how Magnus felt about the situation, two things Alec was not prepared to deal with. 

Since she napped so late into the day, Madzie was anything but tired when Alec went to put her down. She continued babbling and giggling all the way up the stairs and into the nursery. Once they were inside, there were toys and books all around to distract her and she kept trying to reach out and grab them. Each time he tried to put her down in her crib, her bottom lip would wobble and her brown eyes would fill with tears and really, Alec was only human, so he picked her back up each time to start all over again. 

After an hour of unsuccessful attempts to get her to sleep, he moved to the rocking chair in the corner of the room, Madzie sitting in his lap. He started with a few of her books, trying to at least calm her down. John and Lydia had left them with an extensive collection of kids books but even so, over the past few months they had read each one of them, multiple times. Three books in, she started yawning and by book four her little eyelids were drooping dangerously low. Alec softly adjusted her so that her head was resting against his shoulder and her little face was tucked into his neck. 

He rocked gently in the chair, softly singing the words to a popular song on the radio. He wasn’t usually much of a singer but when your only audience was a toddler, stage fright wasn’t much of an issue. Her tiny fist was clenched in the neckline of his shirt but started to relax as she drifted into sleep. 

Alec looked down at the beautiful little girl on his chest and his heart swelled with so much love that it threatened to burst. She had lost so much in her short little life and it was impossible to give all of it back to her, but she still managed to smile and laugh more than anyone Alec had ever known. She had brought so much into his own life and he only hoped that over the course of hers, he could do the same. 

Madzie deserved to have two parents who loved her more than anything in this world and to give her the life she deserved. Alec had once thought that he and Magnus were widely unqualified for the job but they had turned out to be just what she needed. Their little family was unorthodox and often unconventional but John and Lydia has been right in sticking them all together. Magnus and Alec loved Madzie unconditionally and were working to give her the life that her parents would have wanted. 

Amused, Alec wondered if maybe Lydia had seen in him and Magnus the same thing that Isabelle had. 

He continued to rock Madzie, humming softly long after she had fallen asleep. He too was being lulled by the soft movements of the chair and the peacefulness that had settled over the room. Madzie’s tiny body was warm against his own and he wanted to hold her for just a little bit longer. One day she would be bigger, too big for him to hold anymore and he would go through what countless parents before him had already experienced, but he wasn’t quite ready for that yet. 

Alec startled at the sound of the nursery door, looking up to see Magnus poking his head in. He smiled when he saw the two of them sitting in the chair. “All good?” He asked softly.

Nodding, Alec gently got up from the chair and moved towards the crib, setting Madzie down carefully so as not to wake her. She stirred slightly, scrunching her little nose up and furrowing her brows but within moments her features had smoothed out and she was back to sleep. 

Magnus was leaning on the frame of the door with his arms crossed. He was wearing a pair of plain blue jeans today, rolled up at the ankle and a white top with a few of the buttons undone. His feet were bare and he only had on his jewelry essentials that he hardly ever removed. He usually dressed more casually around the house nowadays, after a few too many ruined designer pieces, which also meant little makeup and plain black hair. It didn’t really matter to Alec what he was or wasn’t wearing, he still thought he looked beautiful either way. 

Closing the door behind him, Alec stepped out into the hall. He looked down at Magnus, distracted by the way the hall lights reflected in his eyes. His skin was sun kissed and golden, made only more prominent by the white of his shirt. In the soft light he looked like he was glowing. Alec wondered if he actually was, or if it was a figment of his imagination. 

“She didn’t want to sleep.” Alec explained, pointing back towards where Madzie was now sleeping, in lieu of an explanation. 

Magnus nodded, features soft. “I heard you singing to her. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you do that before.” His words weren’t teasing but were instead spoken quietly, almost tenderly, in a way Alec had only ever heard him speak on a few occasions. 

Alec shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah - it was something Lydia used to do. Whenever Madzie was collicky as a baby, she would call me over and get me to sing to her. I don’t know why but it almost always calmed her down instantly. She called me a lot in the first few months, telling me I was a last resort when sleeping wasn’t an option.” He shrugged again, hyperaware of Magnus’ gaze on him. “She must remember because she dozed off as soon as I started.” 

He was expecting some sort of sarcastic remark out of Magnus, maybe about his singing putting people to sleep, but instead he got a genuine smile. He raised his hand, hesitating only for a moment, and placed his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “That’s really beautiful, Alexander. I never knew that.”

He chuckled softly. Magnus’ hand on his shoulder was warm and steady and filled his stomach with something akin to butterflies. “It’s not that big of a deal. I think most times Lydia was just too tired to try anything else and it was easier for me to come over because she got to take a break.” 

Magnus shook his head, grinning. “Or you could accept that since day one, you have had a strong connection with our daughter. That she feels safe and comfortable with you.” 

Alec did his best not to show how much ‘ _our daughter_ ’ affected him. 

“I guess you’re right.” He agreed. Magnus’ smile was radiating. The hand that was on Alec’s shoulder slid down his arm slowly, almost absently. Alec felt the trail it took, leaving his skin burning and cold at the same time. He looked down to see Magnus interlock their fingers, his ring clad ones fitting perfectly with Alec’s. 

“I am right.” He confirmed. He too was looking at their hands, but shook his head softly and met Alec’s eyes with a smile. “Now, come with me. I have something to show you.” 

Magnus led him down the hall to where Alec knew the master bedroom to be. It had been a while since he had been inside it and he had hardly seen any of the work that Magnus had had done. Alec had started referring to it in his head as the ‘master bedroom’ instead of ‘Lydia and John’s room’ in preparation for when he would eventually move into it, whereas Magnus insisted on calling it ‘Alec’s room’. He was excited, part to see it and what they had done, but mainly to just be off the living room couch. 

The door was closed when they arrived and Magnus turned on the spot to face him. He had a wide smile on his face, clearly proud of the work he had done inside. He was also still holding Alec’s hand. “Okay, so the room is done and I used my creative expertise to try and turn it into something that you would like. Isabelle helped by bringing in some of your stuff and making it more personal, but if you don’t like it be honest and we can change it into something you like better, okay?”

“Magnus, I’m sure I’m going to love it.” Alec said reassuringly, giving his hand a squeeze. He was rewarded with another genuine, almost shy smile from the other man. Alec felt his heart flutter accordingly. 

Traditional Magnus fashion, he turned the knob and opened the door with a dramatic wave, signalling Alec to walk in before him. 

The room was hardly recognizable. Magnus had done an amazing job. It was a soft mix of brown, grey and white colours; the walls were neutral taupe with photos in black frames hanging above the bed. Magnus had taken some of the personal ones from Alec’s old apartment as well as a few from the photoshoot they had done together. 

He replaced the old bedframe with one made completely out of wood, stained to match the nighttables on either side of the bed. The bed itself was covered in a heap of throw pillows (courtesy of Magnus or Isabelle he wasn’t sure) and a patterned grey quilt that tied the room together nicely. He had added a window seat on the one wall beneath the large bay window as well as a bookshelf with many of Alec’s books, and a few titles he didn’t recognize. Overall it was homey and beautiful, but also looked like it could be in a home magazine. 

Alec spun on the spot, trying to take the entire room in. “Magnus … it’s incredible.” He regretfully untangled his fingers from Magnus’, just to look around. He walked right over to the window seat. He was sure that he had never mentioned to Magnus that he wanted one, yet here it was. When he turned around to ask how he had known, he just shrugged, smiling at Alec. 

“You mentioned it once. I remembered you talking about it with Lydia when you were apartment shopping a few years ago. You said you wouldn’t buy something without a window seat and Lydia smacked you on the head and told you to be realistic.” 

Alec laughed, half in shock and half at the memory. He had completely forgotten about that, or that Magnus had been there. It must have happened over two years ago because it was before Madzie, yet Magnus still remembered. 

“You - you remembered that?” He asked. 

Magnus, for the first time, actually looked awkward. “Yeah, it wasn’t that big of a deal.” 

Alec shook his head. “It is to me. I’ve always wanted one of these.” The bench had a soft cushion on it as well as a throw blanket from his apartment and a few pillows. 

“I’m glad you like it.” Magnus said, suddenly closer. Alec turned around to see he had taken a few steps forward. “You deserve your own space. You haven’t really had that in the past few months.” 

Alec considered that for a moment, before taking a step towards Magnus. “I haven’t really minded much.”

They were now only a few feet away and Alec could feel the space between them like crackling electricity. He wondered if Magnus could feel it as well. 

“Well,” Magnus nodded, “now you have this room. To be alone.” Another step forward. 

“You could use it too. You know, considering some of your books are on the shelf already.” Another step. 

“I would like that.” Magnus took one more step, putting him almost flush with Alec. He had to look down to see the other man, but he didn’t mind much. His mind was working hyperactively, trying to see if there was any way that Magnus was as close to losing control as he was. He was looking at Alec with a steady gaze, but his fingers were rubbing together as they often did when he was nervous. On a whim, Alec reached out and threaded his own through them, stopping the movements. 

“Or,” Alec started, running on the wave of confidence he felt holding Magnus’ hand. “-if you wanted to, you could stay here. I know the guest room is pretty small and you don’t like it much. This room is big, really big and I certainly don’t need all this space to myself. I mean, I’m only one person and this is the master bedroom after all, it’s meant for two people so we could uh, both stay here.” 

He had been hoping that Magnus would interrupt him in the middle of his rant and put a stop to the word vomit that had just expelled from his mouth, but no such luck. Alec closed his eyes, resisting the urge to run away. This was probably not what Isabelle meant when she said tell Magnus how he felt. 

A light squeeze on his hand caused him to open his eyes. Magnus was looking up at him, eyes sparkling with amusement and a little bit of confusion. That had to be a good sign, right?

“Alexander, what exactly are you asking?” Magnus looked at him with what appeared to be hope, but his tone was playful. Alec was pretty sure Magnus knew exactly what he was asking. 

“To share the room, obviously.” He grinned. 

Magnus laughed. “Just the room?”

Alec shrugged, pretending to consider the question. His heart was beating a mile a minute but he felt giddy. “Well, I mean we could also share the bed. For space.” 

Magnus nodded, pursing his lips to try and hide his smile. “Space, huh?” Alec shrugged, grinning. He grabbed Alec’s other hand, pulling him so that they were chest to chest. “Well Alexander, I think I might just take you up on your offer. Though I’ll have you know, I usually require someone to take me on a date before I share the bed with them.” 

Alec raised his eyebrows teasingly. “I distinctly remember you trying to bed me before we even knew each other's last names. Besides,” he continued, “I think all the times we’ve sat up late drinking wine or sitting on the nursery floor watching Madzie sleep count as dates. By that standard, we’ve had at least ten thousand by now.” 

“You always seem to be the exception to all of my rules.” Magnus whispered, smiling. 

They were so close by this point that Alec could hardly breathe, he was dizzy with the scent of Magnus surrounding him. His eyes involuntarily slipped down to Magnus’ lips and he licked his own automatically. He caught Magnus tracking the movement and really, that was all the motivation Alec needed. 

He ducked down, pausing when he was just a breath away, and when Magnus didn’t move or pull away he pushed forward, molding their lips together. The kiss was soft and tender, just a careful press of lips, everything a first kiss should be. Both of their hands were still clasped together and neither of them made any move to change that. 

Alec pulled away first needing air. He didn’t go far though, resting his forehead against Magnus’. He kept his eyes closed, trying to slow the rapid speed of his heartbeat. He could feel Magnus breath on his face, smell the cologne he was wearing and the taste of him lingered on his lips. He was completely overwhelmed and utterly relaxed all at the same time. 

“So …” 

Alec laughed softly at Magnus’ statement. Mockingly, he joked “Really Magnus? ‘So?’ That’s all you have to say right now?” A startled laugh broke from Magnus’ mouth, remembering at the beginning of this whole mess when he had said those exact words to Alec. 

“Well, how about I say that I sort of love you?” Magnus asked, flicking his eyes up to meet Alec’s. While he was still laughing breathlessly, his tone was anything but teasing. 

Alec swallowed thickly, grin splitting his entire face. “Then I would say that I sort of love you too.”

They stood there grinning at each other like idiots until one of them, Alec honestly couldn’t say who, finally moved in for another kiss. Alec laughed into it and he could feel Magnus smiling against him as well. It wasn’t as much of a kiss as breathing each other in, trying to kiss and smile at the same time. 

He finally unlocked his hands from Magnus’ and moved them to his waist, fitting his hands on his bare skin under the fabric of his shirt. Magnus’ hands found purchase in his hair, pulling him further down to his height. 

They moved towards the bed, falling back onto it easily. Both of them were on their sides, not an inch between them, trading soft kisses. Magnus’ hands were carding through his hair in an extremely pleasant way that made Alec turn to putty under his hands. 

The kiss was broken when Magnus let out a yawn. He quickly tried to stifle it, but it was near impossible to miss. “Sorry, I’m good.” He shook his head, pulling Alec back in and kissing him again, only to let out another one a few minutes later. 

Alec pulled back this time, laughing and removing Magnus’ hand where it was attempting to unbutton his shirt. He kissed Magnus on the cheek. “How about we take a raincheck for another night when we both haven’t been awake for the past three days with a sick toddler?” 

“No, I’m okay. I’m just -” but his denial was interrupted by yet another yawn and Alec laughed harder and Magnus finally admitted defeat. They both removed their shirts and jeans, snuggling under the covers in just their boxers. Alec was surprised at how domestic and easy it was, but he supposed he should stop being surprised when things were easy with Magnus anymore. That’s what it was like to be in love, right?

The lights were out and they both lay there quietly. Alec could tell Magnus wasn’t asleep yet, but he was close to it. He turned on his side, meeting his eyes in the dark. “Hey,” Alec said softly, rubbing his cheek. “We have time. However long you want me, I’ll be here.” 

Magnus looked up at him, eyes tired. “And if I said I wanted you forever?” 

Alec’s breath caught in his throat. He swallowed and waited a breath before answering back, “I would say that everyone already thinks we’re married, but you need to at least take me on a real date first.” He was trying for teasing but it came out surprisingly serious. 

Magnus smiled, ducking his head into Alec’s bare shoulder and pressing a kiss to the soft skin there. Alec’s body was slowly pulling him into sleep, but he forced himself to stay awake, just a little while longer. “Do you have any plans tomorrow, Mr. Lightwood?” Magnus whispered into the darkness between them. 

“What did you have in mind, Mr. Bane?” Alec whispered back, heart beating rapidly. 

Magnus smiled. “We’re going on a date.” 

 

***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading and leaving lovely comments! 
> 
>  This chapter was beta's by my beautiful best friend [Kaitlyn](http://archiveofourown.org/users/little_loving_lefty) <3
> 
> I can be found on[Twitter](https://twitter.com/insiemes) or [Tumblr](http://insiemes.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat xx 
> 
>  
> 
> See you soon Angels xx


	4. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madzie's 2nd birthday party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's the epilogue!
> 
>  
> 
> If you're live tweeting you can tag me on twitter (@insiemes) xx

**8 months later**

Alec looked intently at the cake in front of him, adding another swirl of pink icing to the base and making the final petal on the last flower. 

He had been working on this cake almost all night (and he was definitely feeling the effects of that this afternoon) but the end result was worth it. The cake was decorated with various princesses and even a castle, blue, pink and purple flowers covering it. Alec spun the cake around on it’s stand once more, looking for any final touches that needed to be made, but found none. 

He had just finished transferring the three-tiered cake to the fridge when he heard footsteps behind him. 

“Dada!” 

Grinning, Alec turned around to find his daughter dressed up in her fanciest attire running towards him. He scooped her up when she was close enough, peppering kisses to her face. “Hello my sweet little birthday girl.” She giggled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You look beautiful today.”

“What, no kiss for me?”

Magnus was standing in the doorway watching the two of them with a fond expression on his face. He looked absolutely stunning in a maroon and gold shirt, and black pants. He had added some colour to his hair today, something that he knew drove Alec crazy. 

Alec grinned. “Well, it’s not your birthday is it?” He looked to Madzie for confirmation and she shook her head, pointing to herself. 

Magnus feigned a pout, walking forward and leaning his elbows against the kitchen counter where Alec had a spread of food all prepped and ready to go. His eyes were twinkling mischievously. “So I only get kisses on my birthday? That hardly seems fair. Madzie, tell Dada he’s not being fair.” 

Madzie turned her head between the two of them. She finally settled on Alec, her brows pulled together. “Dada, kiss Pa. He’s sad.” Magnus’ pout only exaggerated.

Alec sighed, but he felt himself grinning. “If I must.” He sat Madzie on the counter, sure to keep a hand on her so she didn’t fall, and leaned across so that his face was inches from Magnus’. He kissed him soft and sweet, just a single press of lips before pulling back a fraction. “You look beautiful, too.” He whispered. 

Magnus cupped his hand around Alec’s cheek, kissing him again. “Thank you, my darling. You look quite dashing yourself.” 

Alec pulled back, aware that he was probably sporting the biggest, dopiest grin on his face. 

Over the past 8 months he was sure that he had had that look a lot. Since that night so many months ago when Alec had finally told Magnus how he felt, so much had changed. 

Madzie was now walking and talking, something that was both a blessing and a curse. She spoke in small sentences and had almost tripled her list of words. She now knew how to ask for things she wanted and was slowly starting to learn colours, shapes and numbers. She also seemed to have pick up on many of their mannerisms, including some of Magnus’ sassy remarks. For a two year old, she had quite the wit and made some entertaining remarks. Her walking was getting better too. She was in an independent streak right now and wanted to try everything herself; this included bath time, getting dressed and walking to daycare (Alec and Magnus followed a few paces behind while she walked ahead). 

She was a pretty good runner too, which made some mornings more difficult than others, Alec and Magnus chasing her around the house trying to get her dressed. 

The overall dynamic of their house hadn’t changed as much as Alec expected it too. Isabelle said it was because he and Magnus were basically a married couple before they got together, now they were just both aware of it. 

Alec’s business had taken off in the past few months and they were in the process of opening a second shop, something he was really excited about. Simon would manage the one they had open already and Alec would move to the new one, bouncing back and forth between the two. Almost every day they had lines of customers out the door and it was hard to bake fast enough for the sheer amount of people they were getting. Magnus had gone with Alec a few months back to pick out a location, and he and Isabelle had been working on designs for it. After Magnus had redone their bedroom, Alec had full confidence that he would make his restaurant look just as amazing. 

Magnus’ business too was going well. Alec had never been a club person before, and he still wasn’t much of one, but going with Magnus made him want to go more often. They had gotten a babysitter one night and Magnus had taken him to Pandemonium, the two of them spending the night dancing and drinking, soaking each other up under the flashing lights. It had been an amazing night and Alec made a point of going to work with Magnus more often when Isabelle or Simon were free to watch Madzie. 

Things with Magnus were better than Alec had ever imagined. He had assumed that the butterflies and the shock that he was with Magnus would wear off after a couple of days but he was proven wrong every time he saw the other man. Whether it was first thing in the morning in bed or when he was cooking in the kitchen, Alec was hit with just as much love and adoration, if not more, as when they first got together. 

Magnus, who was playing pattycake with Madzie, looked up and met Alec’s eyes with a smile. Alec grabbed his hand, running his thumb over one of Magnus’ rings. It wasn’t just any of his rings, it was Alec’s _favourite_ one, mainly because he had been the one to put it there. 

Asking Magnus to marry him hadn’t been something that scared Alec. Magnus had told him mere moments after their first kiss that he wanted to spend forever with him and Alec knew without a doubt that he felt the same. And so a few weeks after their first real date, they were walking through the park with Madzie and both of them had tried to surprise each other with a proposal, each with rings hiding in their pockets. They ended up on one knee across from each other, Madzie standing in between them, declaring their love. It was still a few months until their wedding day, but Alec would wait years if it meant he got to spend the rest of his life with the man in front of him. 

“There you all are!” 

The three of them turned to see Isabelle and Clary standing in the doorway. Unbeknownst to Alec, his sister and co-worker had been dancing around each other for months until Isabelle had decided that enough was enough and kissed Clary one day right in the middle of the restaurant. Alec was extremely happy for both of them, and could see how happy they made each other. 

Isabelle walked up to the counter and kissed Alec on the cheek, giving one to Magnus as well. She moved around the counter to where Madzie was still perched and stood back, giving her a dramatic once over. “And who do we have here? Is that my beautiful niece?” Madzie nodded. “And I hear someone has a birthday today, how old are you?” Madzie giggled, holding up 2 fingers proudly, and started laughing happily when Isabelle picked her up and twirled her around. 

“Auntie Iz!” Madzie squealed when Isabelle started showering her with kisses, tickling her as she went. 

Alec moved around the counter, joining Magnus. He put his arms around his waist from behind, dropping his head on his shoulder as they watched Isabelle and Madzie play. 

Magnus threaded his fingers through Alec’s, giving them a light squeeze. “I love you.” He whispered, letting his cheek rest against Alec’s own. 

“I love you, too.” Alec responded, kissing him on the cheek. 

They looked up when they heard Isabelle and Madzie making “yuck” sounds. Alec rolled his eyes fondly, untangling himself from Magnus and reaching out for Madzie. “That’s enough from you two. Auntie Iz is a bad influence on you, little miss.” 

“Bad … influence.” Madzie repeated, saying the word slowly. She smiled when she got it right, though Alec was sure she had no idea what she had said. 

“That’s right.” Magnus agreed, smirking. “She also spoils you.” 

Isabelle raised a challenging eyebrow. “Says the man who spent a fortune on Madzie’s birthday present.” Alec was about to interject, but Isabelle turned on him next, holding up a menacing finger. “And you’re no better. Madzie’s closet stuffed full with clothes will attest to that.” 

“What can I say? Our daughter deserves the best.” He shrugged. “Plus, if being engaged to Magnus has taught me anything it’s that one can never have enough clothes.” Magnus laughed from beside him and so did Clary, and finally Isabelle.

Alec looked around at each of them, feeling light and incredibly happy. A year ago he had been in this exact kitchen, but so many things had been different. Lydia and John were still here, he and Magnus had found it hard to be in the same room without squabbling at each other (which Alec finally admitted to Isabelle _might_ have been sexual tension) and Madzie had been only a year old. 

Now, Alec was engaged to the beautiful man beside him and he was here with his family, unconventional as it was. It had been a struggle at first to see past the tragedy that was losing Lydia and John but the silver lining had given Alec something he had been craving; his own family. He was lucky enough to get to spend every single day with Magnus and Madzie, knowing full well that Lydia was probably smiling down at him from above, giving John a high-five. 

The past year had by no means been easy; becoming a parent at the same time as losing your best friend was something Alec would never wish upon anyone, but in his case it had worked out alright. There had been some frustrating and overwhelming moments but Alec had always known that he had Magnus to count on, even before they got together. Madzie had changed both of their lives, but Magnus had been the one to keep them together when Alec thought he was going to lose his mind. Magnus had been his support system when he didn’t think he needed one, and had changed Alec in more ways than he cared to admit. It was easy for Alec to look back and say that he used to be uptight and a little bit boring. But now, every single day was filled with something new and Alec had learned to a little more easy going. Also, living with Magnus and Madzie ensured that no day was ever boring. 

Alec was pulled back to the present by Magnus’ hand, steady on his lower back. Magnus was looking at him quizzically but Alec just smiled at him, shaking his head. They had talked about it just the night before, how much things had changed in a year, and it had ended in unshed tears, soft kisses and teasing remarks from Magnus about Alec being an old sap. 

The doorbell at the front of the house rang and Isabelle went to grab it, Clary trailing behind her, leaving the three of them alone in the kitchen.” 

“Alexander, what time is it?” Alec met Magnus’ eyes and saw the grin on his face, catching on immediately to his train of thought. 

Alec pretended to look at his watch and gasped. “I think it’s time to give the birthday girl her present.” Madzie perked up, face lighting up in a grin.

“Present? I don’t think she wants one of those, do you?” Magnus asked, raising his eyebrows at Madzie. 

“Yes I do!” Madzie said excitedly, trying to prove to Magnus that she did in fact, want a present. 

Alec set her down on the ground, crouching in front of her. “Your present is waiting for you upstairs in your bedroom, sweetheart.” 

He had barely finished speaking before the little girl had turned and darted out into the hall, towards the stairs. Alec stood back up, chuckling. He held out his hand to Magnus. “Shall we?”

Together, they followed Madzie who could now be heard running up the stairs. They were a few paces behind her so they knew she had found her present when she started squealing excitedly. 

For her birthday, they had decided to redecorate Madzie’s nursery. She had long since grown out of her crib and it was time to get her a real “big girl bed”. For the past few weeks she had been sleeping in the guest bedroom where Magnus used to sleep, but she hadn’t really questioned why. 

Alec had thought the room might have been a little much, but seeing Madzie’s reaction made it all worth it. 

They had turned her entire bed into a miniature castle, complete with a set of stairs up to a small balcony above it. The walls were purple (Madzie’s favourite colour) and Magnus had added beautiful accents all around the room, making it as classy and elegant as you can make a child’s room. Her dresser, closet and bookshelf were the same, but each had a fresh coat of paint to match the purple. They had also left the old rocking chair in there; it had been Lydia’s mothers and Madzie still loved curling up with one of them and reading in it, but Magnus had put a new small couch that could easily fit the three of them. 

They watched their daughter from the doorway, running around and trying to look at everything all at once. She went to the balcony above the bed first, looking over the railing and waving at them. They waved back, laughing. 

“I think she likes it.” Magnus said, leaning back against Alec’s chest.

Alec wrapped his arms around Magnus’ chest, pulling him closer. “What gave it away? The constant giggling, or the many times she has already told us she’s a princess?” Magnus laughed and Alec felt the vibrations through his chest. 

They let her play for a little while longer before it was time to go downstairs for the party. She was disappointed at first until Alec reminded her that the bedroom would still be here when she got back and that she would be sleeping in here tonight. It wasn’t long after that that she was on her way downstairs, calling for Auntie Iz to tell her about her new princess castle. 

Alec was about to follow but Magnus held him firm, turning so that they were facing each other. Magnus was holding his hand tightly, tears in his eyes. “Hey,” Alec whispered, running his thumb to catch a tear that had fallen. “What’s wrong? She loved it.” 

Magnus nodded. “I know she did.” Alec looked at him, waiting for Magnus to continue. “It just makes me happy to see her smiling so much. Sometimes I worry that we’ve done something wrong, or that somehow we’re not going to be what she deserves. It’s just nice to see we’re doing something right.” 

Alec smiled, running his fingers under Magnus’ jaw. “She’s got an amazing Pa. He’s kind and sweet and so caring that sometimes it makes my heart feel like it’s going to explode. And she loves him so very much, because he’s her Pa, simple as that.” He kissed Magnus on the forehead. “We’re not always going to be perfect parents, but we’re the best that we can be for her and that’s all we can do.” 

Another tear slipped free down Magnus’ cheek and he laughed, blinking them away. “Well her Pa wouldn’t be half as amazing without her Dada. We need someone who gets us out the door relatively on time, makes us the most amazing food and gives the best cuddles.” Alec grinned. “And even though he won’t admit it, he loves to sing his daughter to sleep every single night.” 

Alec shook his head, still smiling. 

“And he makes both Madzie and Pa the happiest people in the world.” 

Instead of struggling to find some response that would encompass everything Alec was feeling, Alec decided actions would speak much louder than words. He pulled Magnus closer by the small of his back, pressing their lips together. Magnus sighed into the embrace, bringing his hands up around Alec’s neck, pulling him closer. 

They kissed soft and slow until they heard Isabelle calling up to them that they better be coming down soon because she and Clary didn’t want to be in charge of a group of toddlers. 

Then they kept kissing until she threatened to come up and drag them downstairs herself. 

It was only when they heard the telltale click of heels that they broke apart, giggling, and rushed downstairs with flushed cheeks and rushed apologies, finally joining the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you all enjoyed this self-indulgent Malec kid fic as much as I did! 
> 
>  If you want to get an idea of what Madzie's bedroom looks like, here's what I had in mind.
> 
> https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1b/d1/50/1bd1503a115f20e303c7233770d0ba19.jpg]

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/insiemes) or [Tumblr](http://insiemes.tumblr.com/) if you want to chat! 
> 
> Comments and kudos are appreciated (and make my day ten times better) xx


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